New Beginnings
by flyingorfalling
Summary: Her memories flooded back as if a door in her brain had been unlocked and suddenly she could remember everything—the life she'd lived, the man she'd married, the betrayals she'd endured, and the secrets she kept. There was just too much water under the damn bridge for them to pick up where they'd left off… Dom and Letty's journey after F7.
1. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

**A/N:** ** **Finally built up enough courage to post this.** It's my first attempt at fan fiction hence I also never wrote anything about Dom and Letty so if this will totally be out of character, you might have to consider it AU. Just because I grew up with these two doesn't necessarily mean I know how to write them, but I thought I'd try since this has been stuck in my head ever since I saw Furious 7.**

 **Reviews are very much appreciated, but hate and negativity won't make me improve my writing. Please keep that in mind when you give me feedback.** **And bear with me as I'm not a native speaker. I'm constantly trying to find new words to say things but I think I do exhaust my vocabulary at some point. I'm not good with tenses either so if there's a major mistake, PM me. Also, if you wanna read beta, feel free to tell me. Wouldn't hurt to have someone do it, I guess :)**

 **Now, enough with the babbling. This is me assuming Dom and Letty haven't gone** ** **all the way** since Dom's accident and Letty remembering everything. They also didn't talk much about her getting her memories back. You get what I mean when you read it. It's mostly just fluff. S** **lightly spoiler-ish as it picks up where Furious 7 left off. That paragraph in italics introduces and ends a flashback. Thought this was the best way to do it.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Just borrowing the characters for some creative work.**

* * *

By midnight, the beach was almost completely deserted. Everyone had left the scene, except for two people, who hadn't spoken a word to each other ever since. There was nothing but the soft roar of the waves.

The Latina was snuggled into Dom's side, as they kept bathing in the shimmering light of the moon, while the bald-headed man had put his strong arm around her, stroking her back every now and then.

Everything around them was so calm and peaceful that it felt unreal, knowing what they had just been through those last few weeks. Letty had almost lost her life getting blown up by a drone, Dom even managed to top that by needing to be resuscitated. They were quite a duo indeed.

"You wanna leave?" he asked, not wanting her to feel cold.

She shook her head lightly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. This was perfect, so perfect. She didn't mind the cool breeze that left goose bumps on her arms and legs. Not as long as she could feel Dom's warm body against hers. He also made her feel safe and she could use that kinda feeling right now.

Strangely enough, even when her memories were still gone, she had always felt home with him. Now she knew why, because she remembered everything. Every little detail about their relationship was back in her mind as if it had never left, though there were some things she rather had not remembered.

"Why did you leave me that night? When I literally begged you not to," Letty's voice finally broke the silence a few minutes later.

All this time, she had been tiptoeing around the subject, not wanting to bring it up and was glad he hadn't either. Now, it felt like the right time to address it, even though she knew it would hurt having to relive every emotion of that day again.

Dom felt her eyes piercing him, but he didn't dare to look at her. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the bonfire in front of them.

When Letty said she remembered everything, she wasn't kidding. He didn't really think she would remember this, though, or at least he had hoped she wouldn't. How could he explain the cruellest thing he had ever done to her?

Back then, he thought it was the right thing to do, and a part of him still felt like that, yet the past clearly showed that he couldn't be protect her no matter what he did. And Dom was sorry for everything she had to go through because of him.

That night in the Dominican Republic he broke the one promise, he, as a husband, should always be determined to keep, no matter the circumstances. To never leave his wife. That wasn't something you could really explain and until now, he had tried to ignore that.

It had always been easier for him to repress that memory than to feel the pain of having to learn the consequences his actions had had. Seeing her name inscribed on a gravestone, knowing she had lost her life trying to make him come home – and back to her – and then finding out, she was alive but with no memory, had taken its toll on him. He didn't want to think about it too much.

"Does it really matter? It's been forever, Letty. Why do you–"

"It matters to _me_ , Dom," Letty cut him off. She didn't want to ruin that moment between them, but the fact that he didn't even think it mattered, or so it seemed, made her become slightly furious. "And I don't know if that's news to you, but forever means a lot when you're married."

Although she tried not to get all worked up about it, the anger in her voice was clearly there.

Dom knew that as angry as she sounded, it was mostly the hurt inside of her talking to him, because she didn't jump to her feet nor broke the connection between them in any way to give vent to her fury. She just kept sitting there, looking at him in a way that demanded answers. He could feel it.

"I thought you were better off without me," Dom tried to start at least somewhere, but knew for a fact that nothing he said could ever make up for what he'd done.

"That heist... When you were on that truck and I felt like I couldn't get to you... For a moment I thought, this is it. This is the last time I will see you alive," he sighed, as he ran one hand over his head, massaging his scalp for a moment before he lowered his arm again.

"And I knew, I would feel that way again, because you know how it is. The jobs we do never get any easier. I was on the most wanted list and I didn't want you to get caught in the crossfire. I was planning to get back to you when the heat died down."

Dom hoped she understood that he only did it to protect her even if it seemed like an idiotic move to him now.

"Our lives have never been anything but dangerous, if you think about it, even when the cops aren't on to us. You know I love our lives, Letty, always have, but I loved you too much to put yours at risk any longer. Your life means _everything_ to me. Marrying you made me realize that."

And then Dom did turn his head to meet Letty's eyes, a concerned look on his face, almost as if he was trying really hard to hold back tears.

"I still do, love you that much, but I've learned from my mistakes. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting you," he continued, but then stopped for a minute to simply study her face.

As reasonable as it seemed to him to leave her that night, the only thing he could think of now was how much of an idiot he had been. He couldn't stand the sight of her. She looked so sad. It was like somebody had stabbed him through the heart.

"When you stepped onto that elevator dressed in that gown, I was reminded of our wedding. It reminded me of how blessed I am to have you back, to get another chance at being a husband. _Your_ husband. You mean the world to me, Let, and I'd rather have us dying together than spend another _second_ without you."

The sincerity in his voice indicated how sorry he was and though he hadn't actually said those words yet, Letty believed him. He had learned his lesson and he really regretted leaving her. But that didn't actually make it hurt less. If any, it hurt more, because how could someone love you that much and still think it was for the best to be apart?

"You know what I did to it?" Letty mumbled, still feeling hurt having to think about it. "The wedding dress?"

She remembered how much he loved her wedding dress; the way he was at a complete loss of words when she asked him how she looked. Wearing that dress had felt weird, like she was not really herself in it. But at the same time she knew that she was never more true to herself than when she was with him. And that's what she had been that day – with him. And she was supposed to stay with him forever, but he changed that. He shouldn't have. He ruined it. He ruined their eternity.

"I ripped it apart and then I burned it," she finally answered the questioning look of his.

Letty noticed immediately how his face turned from remorse to something sadder, shocked even, and for one second, she obtained a certain satisfaction seeing that her words seemed to have hurt him. She didn't want to hurt him, she really didn't. She just wanted him to feel at least some of the pain he had put her through. Did that make her a bad person?

When he didn't seem to know what to say, she did.

"What do you want to hear? That I cried? I did, Dom. For I don't know how many days, I was a total mess. When I woke up, alone, realizing what you've done… that you left me… I started to get really pissed, so I picked up that gorgeous dress and set it on fire."

While listening closely to her story, Dom could picture her clearly. Destroying the one thing that reminded her of him the most in that moment sounded like something she would do. As much as it hurt to hear that, he couldn't blame her.

"But as soon as I did it, it was like all the anger went up in smoke too. I broke down and cried."

Letty looked him deep in the eyes, feeling the tears burning behind her eyelids.

"And if it weren't for your little sis, I probably would've never stopped. She told me to get my shit together, so I did. I found a way to bring you home and then– Well, you know how that turned out," she said, breaking into a forced chuckle.

Dom looked at her in silence, trying not to crack. It was hard, though. Her eyes said it all, and he could feel her pain. It almost brought him to tears. She had been utterly devastated when he left her and he knew how much she hated crying, how rarely one would see her like that. Letty always had to make sure to stay tough in front of all the guys, so when she did cry, it meant a lot.

Letty blinked back her tears and went on.

"I just don't understand why– You're my family, Dom. My _husband_. How could you do this to me?"

She didn't know why it still hurt so much. Maybe because she never got a chance to say out loud everything she had buried so deep within all this time. Maybe now that it was all out in the open, there would finally be some room for her to breathe; to let go.

He abandoned her with no chance of goodbye. And he left the cross necklace behind, which was like he was saying it all didn't mean that much to him. The cross was an equivalent to their wedding rings so leaving it with her was like breaking his vows, ending their marriage right then and there. At least that's what it had felt like. But she couldn't tell him how angry or hurt she was, because he disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him up. Zero contact.

And now, he knew. He finally got to hear how she felt about it and, more importantly, understood her pain. She saw it in Dom's eyes. He looked sad, seized with remorse and it felt to her as if he thought there wasn't anything left he could say to ease said pain. But Letty wanted him to say something. Anything.

"Look, you gotta understand that I… Just because we got married, doesn't mean you can suddenly decide what's best for me, Dom. I may be your wife, but I'm still the same girl I've always been when it comes to this."

Letty had a major problem with people making decisions for her and he should've known that. He knew her long enough. So well indeed that if he were to make a list of all the things she loved or hated, he'd get every single point on that list right. And it worked the other way round, too. That's why they were perfect for each other.

"Making decisions for me? You don't get to do that, man. We're in this together. We always were."

Dom sighed, knowing she was right.

That's what a marriage was about. Facing everything together and figuring it all out. Choosing which way to go, not running in different directions. Their relationship had always worked like that. Them being married didn't change a thing. It felt different, meant a lot more than being boy- and girlfriend, but that was all there was to it. It wouldn't change how they dealt with things being thrown at them.

"I know and I'm really sorry for what I've done," Dom finally said the words Letty had been waiting so long to hear.

Although, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't forget what he'd done, she was ready to forgive him. Sometimes, a simple apology could mean the world. After all, they were given another shot at this thing called 'marriage' and they should make the most of it.

Letty smiled weakly, letting Dom know that she accepted his apology. There was no guarantee that they wouldn't get into another fight about this issue soon, she knew that, but for now, things were okay. And she was glad she had stayed close to his body all this time, because she could nestle up to him again and feel his touch. She needed this kind of comfort right now – which didn't last as long as she'd hoped.

Dom, still preoccupied in rather dark thoughts about it all, shifted his body away from her and got up. He needed to stop dwelling on the past and focus on the present. They not only were together again, but Letty had also gotten her memories back and that was something worth celebrating. He wanted to cherish this moment as much as he had before she spoke her mind a few minutes ago.

"What are you doing?" Letty asked, worried that he intended to leave.

Looking up to him, she studied his face and tried to make sense of his expression. Did she ruin it? Maybe she should've kept her mouth shut for once, be grateful for their second chance and let bygones be bygones. But she just had to get this off her chest. Didn't he understand that after all?

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going for a swim," Dom explained, slowly taking off every piece of fabric that covered his body until he was in the buff.

"Like this?" Letty blurted out, obviously taken by surprise.

"What's wrong with _this_?" Dom retorted, moving his hands along the sides of his body to put emphasize on his stature.

"I can't remember ever hearing you complain before," he smirked, completely full of himself.

"So, you gonna join me or what?"

Dom shot her a smile that had her knees suddenly going weak.

"I– I don't– " Letty hardly got a word out.

She felt her heart beating faster. It was almost like she was back to being a teenager again, who realized she was about to be kissed for the very first time. She hadn't been intimate with Dom ever since that night in the DR. All kind of thoughts entered her mind.

She wondered if he would still like what she had to offer; if her body would still look the same to him, would still turn him on. Showing herself in a bikini like she did in Abu Dhabi was different than showing it all. Maybe he won't be as attracted to her anymore as he used to be. A lot had happened between them. But there was something deeper that she couldn't quite explain yet. All she knew was it didn't have anything to do with her body, it concerned her heart.

"You don't what? Want to?" Dom was kinda nervous although he would never admit to it. He had seen her with all of her clothes off a gazillion times before but not since the night he had left her and so something felt different. One thing, however, hadn't changed and never would. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just that–" Letty tried to smile through her nervousness.

"It's too soon," Dom finished her sentence, sounding more like he was asking her a question.

Was she scared, he would see anything he didn't like? There was _nothing_ he didn't like about her. Didn't she know?

Letty lowered her head. She didn't want him to see the insecurity in her eyes. She didn't want to be like that. She _wasn't_ like that. She had always known what to say and what to do and the last person on earth she was afraid of was Dom. At least that's how it's always been like.

Dom squatted down in front of her, completely ignoring the fact he was already naked, and laid a hand on her knee. He didn't know what it was exactly, but he did know something was wrong with her and he wanted to make sure everything was all right.

"It's okay, Let. It was just a thought and if you don't want to, I can always go out there by myself. I won't be mad, I promise."

He didn't want her to feel forced, didn't want to push her into doing something she wasn't sure of doing. She had always been making her own decisions like she had just reminded him and he wouldn't want that to be different this time just because she felt obligated.

" _You_ just have to promise me to stay here and not be gone when I get back," he added.

There weren't a lot of things Dominic Toretto was scared of, but the fear of losing her again was constantly present.

When they were still sleeping apart, he had gotten up in the middle of the night and gone to her room to check up on her. He had even watched her sleep every now and then, and left before she woke up. When Letty had wanted to be on her own and drive around the streets to give her some time to think, he had always been afraid she wouldn't return. He was afraid to open his eyes in the morning sometimes these days, because he feared that she wasn't there anymore and it had all just been a dream. Although he knew she would never leave him the way he had left her, intentionally, knowing the pain it caused, he still feared that someone or something could take her away from him.

It all reminded Dom of how much he loved that woman. He couldn't bear the thought of having to live without Letty ever again. When he was in his teenage years, his early twenties, even when they started dating, he had never considered himself to be the guy, who would get married, wanting to start a family. Hell, he never imagined himself to even be faithful to _one_ woman back then. And here he was, knowing that his life only made sense with her in it.

Letty needed a minute before she had the courage to face him. Dom's big brown eyes welcomed her with understanding as much as affection. He was so sweet. But truth was, he had always been that way to her right from the moment their relationship turned into something serious. Tough on the outside, a sweetheart inside, that's Dom. And she loved him so much for everything that he was.

"I really wanna go with you, Dom."

Letty's voice cracked a little in the end. She really did want to join him, but she also wanted to be enough for him and maybe she wasn't just yet even though her memories had come back. It felt like her heart still needed to adjust to the fact that her head was pretty much back to who she was before the loss.

"Just no skinny-dipping," Dom responded.

She didn't really put her thoughts into words, so he had to guess what was going on in her mind, but he knew her too well for this to be somewhat of a challenge. Letty was like an open book to him. He wasn't much of a reader, but if he were, this would certainly be his most favourite one. It was thrilling and surprising, but also sad and romantic – and it had cars in it. What more could he wish for?

"I'm sorry. It's not you, it's– It's me," Letty pleaded, hoping for him to understand that this didn't mean, she didn't want to get close to him again. She just felt like she wasn't ready. She wanted to be, but she couldn't bring herself to get past her fear. Even for a strong woman like Letty insecurities were a thing.

Moving his hand from her knee to her cheek, Dom gave her a charming smile, his thumb caressing her skin in the process. He caught himself wanting to kiss her, but he didn't. If Letty needed him to take a step back right now, he would do just that.

"We rush things out there on the streets, we don't have to do it here. You'll do this whenever you're ready. I don't mind waiting, if I'm waiting for you."

Damn, he knew exactly what to say to her to make her swoon.

Letty felt his hand again, now stroking her shoulder, and then reaching for hers. She followed his every move with her eyes and as soon as Dom grabbed her hand, she intertwined her fingers with his. Similar to the moment in that elevator when those flashbacks hit her, Letty was immediately thrown into a vortex of emotions like fireworks on 4th July. Yes, insecurity was one of those emotions but along with that was gratitude and love. She was grateful for how much he understood her without needing her to speak plainly. She felt blessed to be back with him, to have him in her life and she loved him with all her heart.

Letty saw Dom smirking at her fingers' quick reaction.

He stood up, forcing her to get up with him as he didn't let go of her hand and Letty couldn't help but catch a glimpse at what's been there for a moment right in front of her eyes, and which she hadn't gotten to look at for so long. It was her then, who grinned sheepishly.

"So you _do_ like what you see, huh?" Dom burst out laughing.

Teasing her had always been great fun to him. He didn't get to have that much during her memory loss, because he hadn't known how she would take it and he didn't want to upset her by making stupid jokes. He had missed that dearly.

"Yeah, well, I was kinda hoping you didn't see that," Letty admitted, slightly embarrassed, as she stripped down to her underwear. Her worry was mostly gone, now that she knew she wouldn't have to bare all, but her heart was still racing in his presence. How would it be if she were to have sex with him again?

She could remember everything, she felt it, too, but this definitely was one of these moments when it also felt like she had fallen head over heels in love with Dom all over again. Those butterflies in her stomach made her feel more excited than when she found herself in a car, falling from the sky.

"You've always had a thing for my parts whether it was with cars or my body," Dom laughed, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," Letty poked him in the rips, amused, "I don't even know yet, if your parts are still working. Ya might have to consider an update."

She bit her bottom lip. The sexual tension between them was still tangible as if it had never left. It didn't surprise her, though. She had already felt the sparks flying back in London when she talked to him after their race – and she didn't even remember a thing then. Now, it was just like old times.

Dom planted a kiss on Letty's hair, smirking. She made him feel like he was on top of the world. It wouldn't be easy for him to hold back for sure, because he was so very happy, but it would all be worth it. When they made love again, it would feel like their first time. And for a second Dom thought her memory loss had been a good thing. It made him realize that he should appreciate the love they shared more; that he had almost taken Letty for granted.

He lead her into the water, then duck in. Letty watched him as he swam a little away from her, his head under water. When Dom surfaced again, he looked at her and smiled, swimming slowly towards her. He turned on his back, paddling with his feet a few inches from her torso. Letty watched him closely.

The last time they swam together, they both ended up with two scars to remember it by. She always thought that if for some strange reason they decided to make their bond somewhat official, they would get matching tattoos. Now they had matching scars instead, and even a piece of paper to prove they belonged together. She never imagined they would ever be officially married.

" _Do you feel that? How could you be 3000 miles away from that?" Letty whispered, as she lay on top of Dom on the canoe in the Dominican Sea._

"I can't," he spoke under his breath in that dark voice she loved and there was just something about the way Dom looked at her that made Letty's heart leap. Her love for him had never been stronger than in this moment.

She shot him a smile and kissed him tenderly while not just a wave but a tsunami of emotions engulfed her. It was like she was thrown back to 1998 when she fell in love for the first time at the age of 15. Back then, she had felt rather foolish wanting to do all that gushy stuff people who are in love did. Though it was still the same guy she was in love with, this time, it was a whole lot different.

Letty wasn't afraid to show it, to actually _want_ it. She _wanted_ to be foolishly in love around and with Dom, kiss and hug him, and be kissed and hugged by him in return, and if that made her look like a love-struck puppy then she couldn't care less. And Dom didn't feel any different. They both had grown so much since they first hooked up, individually but also as a couple, that their love wasn't anything they had to hide or downplay anymore. It was something to be proud of. It was real.

Little did she know in that moment she fell in love with him that they would ever share that kind of bond.

Now they were here, madly in love – and married. It had all happened so fast. He asked her; she said yes and next thing she knew they were standing in front of a priest, making it official. Only a day ago they became husband and wife. Today was the first day of their honeymoon and it felt like the start of a new adventure, something completely different. It excited her to the max.

"I can't believe we got married," Letty giggled as she finally let go of Dom's lips.

She traced the contour of his right cheekbone with her index finger, following along with her eyes, then cupped his whole cheek with her hand and met his gaze again.

"Can we keep this a secret?" she asked. "Only a little while longer. I just don't want the others to know yet."

Dom's hands travelled up and down along the sides of her body until they moved to her ass and grabbed it lightly.

"You're enjoying this, aren't ya?" he smirked. "Having a dirty, little secret no one knows about?"

Letty grinned.

"I wouldn't consider this a dirty secret, but," she cupped his other cheek as well, placing a soft kiss on his lips as she held his face in both her hands, "you never know what happens tonight. It might get a lil' dirty," she purred, looking at him seductively.

Dom squeezed her butt firmly. "Oh, I like where this is going," he admitted teasingly. "And I thought last night was already–"

"Are you kidding me?" Letty laughed, cutting him off. "Last night was corny as hell!"

She wasn't complaining at all, though. She had been the happiest she had ever been and sex with Dom had never made her feel more loved as in that moment. This was partly because they were so used to have it rough that they sometimes forgot how it felt to make love and actually take their time.

"That wasn't dirty, it was–"

"Vanilla sex?" Dom butted in, cocking his eyebrow.

"Well, let's just say, if we would've had an audience watching us, people would probably have fallen asleep during the foreplay already," Letty laughed, remembering how long it had taken them to get to the point where they were actually doing it.

"So, you're saying, you didn't like it?" Dom asked, a cheesy grin on his face.

"Of course I did. I'm pretty sure you heard that," she giggled, stroking his cheek.

"All I'm saying is tonight could be different, you know. Yesterday you got the angel, tonight you'll meet the devil," Letty teased, and could literally see in Dom's face how much he liked the mere thought of it. " _If_ you keep treating me well," she added, as she moved her lower body against his groin in circles.

"Don't I always?" Dom joked, trying to distract himself from the fact that her hip's movement made him want to rip her clothes off already, right then and there.

Letty slapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Now you do, but you didn't used to, remember?" she reminded him of the earlier days in their relationship.

"You're right. I was a lousy boyfriend, I'm sorry," Dom grinned. "No more skanks, I promise. The only odour you'll have to follow from now on, looking for me, is that of pancakes."

Letty laughed so hard she almost had trouble keeping her balance so that she didn't bring the canoe to topple over like she had before when she had tried to get on top of him the first time.

"Oh my God, Dom, you're not gonna be one of those husbands that make breakfast each morning, are you?"

Dom stroke her back, once, twice, then settled his hands on her ass again, grinning at her.

"See? This is exactly why I married you, Let. Because you don't give a damn about those normal stuff married couples do."

"Wait, I thought you married me, 'cause you love me?" Letty intervened with a faux-confusion written all over her face.

"And what made you think _that_?" Dom laughed, giving her butt a little slap. "I'm just here for that booty," he smirked, "and the rest of that insane body."

"I knew it," Letty sighed, "this was too good to be true."

She tried to keep a serious face, but lost it the second she locked eyes with him. Grinning from ear to ear, she felt his hands moving up her body.

"Of course I love you," Dom said, cupping her cheeks, as he planted a kiss on Letty's lips.

"And I know you love _me_ , so you can stop pretending now like you dreamed of a knight in shining armour and I'm just the consolation prize," he added, smirking.

The teasing was definitely one of the best parts about their relationship. Because they had been together for so long, first as friends then as lovers, they knew exactly which buttons needed to be pushed. It always worked.

Letty grinned, thinking back to the past as she tried to remember her childhood and the dreams she had.

"Ya know, actually, as a little girl, I think, I did," she stated, caressing his cheek while Dom's hands still held her face, "I just never imagined him to come riding along in a black Charger instead of on a white horse."

"Ha-ha! C'mere, Cinderella." Dom laughed, as he flung his arms around her, holding Letty so tight that not even a piece of paper could fit between their bodies.

"You're my very own fairy tale, you know that, right?" he whispered after a while of holding her in his embrace, moved by the deep emotions that came over him like an avalanche, as he thought of their wedding, last night's love-making, and just how lucky he was to have met her all those years ago.

Fairy tales were known to have a happy ending and though Dom knew their lives were anything _but_ a fairy tale, he hoped their love and all the memories they shared would never be taken away from them.

"Dom?" Letty breathed against his mouth with a beatific smile on her face, "Shut up!"

She gave him another sweet kiss on the lips.

As tough as he let people think he was, he could actually be the mushiest boy inside, hopelessly romantic, and she would always admire and appreciate that. And Letty knew, she was the only one Dom would ever share this secret with, because it worked both ways. No one would ever know of her deepest thoughts, wildest dreams and greatest fears except for Dominic Toretto.

 _Letty laid her head on Dom's chest, closed her eyes, and listened to his heartbeat, as she slowly dozed off. If only they could stay in their happy bubble forever, she wished, knowing too well, however, that as crazy as their lives were, reality would soon come to pass. Who knew where they would be ten years from now._

It had been six years since that moment Letty had wanted to last forever and so much had happened over time. Today, she was lucky she even remembered being married to him, sharing this moment in the DR, and every other one between them.

"Hey, do you remember the night before we got married?" she asked after looking at her husband for a while.

Letty tried to focus on his face and not pay attention to the rest of his body, which wasn't that easy, because right in this moment Dom was attractive as hell – and naked.

"Like it was yesterday," Dom nodded, smiling. He was curious to know what she wanted to point out.

"Yeah... We spent the night together and you joked it's supposed to bring bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding," Letty smiled back at him, drawing circles with her index finger on the water.

"Well, I guess, I should've listened to you and thrown you out," she mumbled only just loud enough for him to hear. It made Dom chuckle.

He positioned himself right in front of her with his feet touching the ground.

She couldn't possibly imagine how much it meant to him that she talked about memories they both shared after months of not even knowing that she used to be in love him.

"Letty, you never listen to me that's what I've been trying to tell you since the day we've met. You're way too stubborn," Dom laughed out loud, remembering the reason why she caught his attention in the first place.

She had been a hard nut to crack; it challenged him. Girls usually wanted to jump his bones so when that Latina didn't, he felt that she was something special.

At the time, he didn't know it was all an act; that Letty had actually wanted him since ages and just waited for him to realize he wanted her, too. But when he finally did, she was too proud to let him have her right away. So she made him work hard for what he could've gotten earlier if only he had not paid attention to the skanks so much.

And while Leticia Ortiz played hard to get, acting like she wasn't infatuated with him already, Dominic Toretto wanted to prove to himself, and others, that he could win her heart. Little did he know that he'd lose his own in the process. Now it belonged to her.

"I am too– Excuse me?" Letty retorted, looking at him amused. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who kept trying to get into my pants even after I punched you in the face. Twice. On the same day." Letty laughed at that memory, the incident flashing before her eyes. He had looked like a wounded puppy and still acted like a sex-starved pit bull.

Dom grinned from ear to ear. He remembered it well.

"That was when I just knew you were the one for me," he said, grabbing her hands, "and I'm glad I never gave up."

Dom let his thumbs slide over her knuckles. He locked eyes with her, thinking what life would've been like if he hadn't kept on trying to sweep Letty off her feet back then. He couldn't imagine.

It was kinda odd how they were standing here remembering their first moments together after she had just gotten her memories back. But it felt good to him. And from what he could tell by looking into her eyes, Letty was feeling the same thing.

She held his hands as if she were being pulled under by dark ocean waves and he alone could save her. She swallowed hard, clearly trying to hold back the tears. Letty didn't know when she had suddenly become this emotional, but she knew why. It was him. It had always been Dom. It would always be.

He was the only one she felt safe to be emotional around, because he was there to catch her. He never made fun of her for crying, but did everything he could to make her stop. And even when she had tried so hard to be strong and play it tough around him all those years ago, he hadn't stopped until making her realize that it was okay to let him in. He had cared enough to tear down her walls and she had never felt this loved.

"I love you," Letty whispered in a voice charged with emotion after what seemed like an eternity, "so much," and looked him straight in the eyes.

Dom returned the look just as deeply moved as she was. She had no idea how much he loved her. It was a love he thought never existed. Deeper than the ocean they were in, purer than water. He was a lucky bastard to say the least.

"I love you, too," he answered in a hushed voice, leaning forward to press his lips onto hers.

Their kiss deepened. Letty let go of his hands, put her arms behind his head and caressed his neck while Dom's hands moved behind her back, sending shivers down her spine. Letty felt his body pressing against hers and she knew it would only be a matter of time until she would feel something else, too. So she slowly pulled away from him, releasing some of the heat.

"Dom, you still have to make up for what happened in the DR, you know. I mean, don't think we're even just because I shot you," she said, half in earnest, half in jest, slowly moving her hand over his chest right where that bullet had hit him.

Now that she remembered, she didn't regret shooting him on their first encounter back in London. He deserved a bullet for what he had done. However, it was kinda difficult for Letty to choose how to deal with the past since she couldn't actually let him get away with this so easily and yet she didn't really want to make another drama out of it. She was beyond happy to be with him again and she wanted that feeling to last for as long as possible.

Dom felt the same way. He knew that he better stuck to his promise this time, because life didn't give him another shot for nothing. Somehow, he didn't know how exactly, he had earned that second chance, and all he wanted to do now was prove himself worthy of it.

Dom grabbed Letty's hand that still lay on his chest and kissed the back of it lightly.

"I will make up for it, you'll see," he murmured, giving her hand a little squeeze.

"And I've got nothing but time to do that," Dom added, as his mouth spread into a toothy grin, which completely disarmed Letty.

Her lips curled into a heartfelt smile, her true and impulsive feelings of pure joy and happiness expressed through it.

"We've got eternity," Letty told him quietly, touching his cheek with the hand he didn't hold.

"Exactly, Mrs Toretto." Dom smiled back at her, claiming her lips again.


	2. State of Love and Trust

**A/N: HUGE thank you to all of you beautiful souls who reviewed, fav'ed and followed my first piece of fanfic ever. It seriously means so much. Xo**

 **It was supposed to be a one-shot, but since your reviews kinda blew me away, I decided to continue this story. Gotta say this was probably even harder to publish, because while at first I was anxious about whether you will like it, now I'm scared to disappoint, haha. Fingers crossed you like this just as much as the first chapter.**

 **Rating: This should probably be  rated M. No details, but still, they get some. Couldn't help myself.**

* * *

Minutes felt like hours as they stood in the water, lips locked, eyes closed, hands touching bodies and not a word been spoken. Every now and then, little giggles could be heard in-between kisses, most of them coming out of Letty's mouth.

As another wave passed, Letty finally looked at him again. Dom had his arms wrapped around her hips, his gaze fixed on her and Letty could see his eyes blazing with passion. She knew then how much he had actually been holding back, trying to keep his sexual desire in check.

He did it all for her, because he didn't want her to feel any pressure. They didn't need to rush anything, that's what he had told her. It was sweet. It meant the ball was in her court. She had all the power. Whenever she wanted to make the next move, he would be there waiting.

The fact that Dom was willing to do that, however, didn't mean that his body had to agree. The desire Letty saw in his eyes, she could _feel_ below the surface of the water. And as soon as she lowered her gaze, and then, looking back up, saw the huge smirk on his face, she knew Dom thought the same thing.

"You're cool down there?" she asked, clearly taking a mischievous pleasure in Dom's little misfortune.

"Well, you just saw it, Let. What do you think?" Dom teased.

He wasn't quite sure if he was going too far, but it seemed to him as though she felt much more at ease with the situation compared to earlier. And if she weren't, Letty would probably just let him know.

Dom's sexual innuendo hadn't wiped the smirk off Letty's face, though. She still looked at him with that same amused face. What she didn't let him see were the thoughts giving her mind a good shake.

Maybe she had thought of it all wrong. Maybe being intimate with Dom again didn't start with her, but with him. Maybe she needed to rediscover his body first before she would feel safe enough again to offer him her own for exploration. Maybe she just needed to give herself a little push.

"I think, it looks like you need a hand," Letty stated. "And I might be just the right person for the job," she added, smirking, "since I'm great with my hands, you know."

"I love the way you think," Dom told her with a grin on his face.

Letty could see the happiness surrounding his entire being and it touched her to know that she was the reason for it. She knew that he wasn't that happy, because she would do him a sexual favor, though he would, of course, enjoy it. He was happy that she _could_ do it, simply because she was here, they were together again and everything was back to normal.

Almost.

Because if they were characters in a cartoon, Dom would be able to see her heart literally beating out of her chest right now, as Letty still felt like this was the start of something new and not an old flame waiting to be rekindled. It was, however, a new beginning, thus her heart had every reason to cheer.

Dom looked Letty in the eyes, still wondering if she was really ready for this. She seemed to be, but had been so insecure about intimacy earlier that Dom couldn't just ignore that now. All of this, that girl, meant so much to him, he didn't want to ruin things before they had even begun.

He worried about her. He always had, but it was different this time, because of everything they had been through. Dom didn't want her to take that step into his direction only to find out she wasn't ready yet and then run the other way.

He kind of felt like one of those first-time moms, who were always afraid of doing something wrong and harm their baby or didn't want to leave their newborn out of sight, because of that fear that something might happen to it while they were away.

He didn't know what amnesia did to people, how it changed them, even if their memories eventually came back. Letty remembered everything now, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was still the same person.

Back in London, he had told her, she was still the same girl, and partly this was true, but now that they stood here after everything that had happened, talking and starting to find that long-lost intimacy between them again, Dom realized that he had indeed been a little ignorant back then.

Letty would probably never be the exact same person again that she was before she had lost her memory, and then got it back, but she still was the person he knew best and the one that knew him best. And she would always be the girl he fell for, the woman he loved and the wife he adored and couldn't live without.

His main priority was to make her feel safe and protect her from anything that could cause her to break or not feel comfortable in her own skin.

"You know, you don't have to–" Dom started to address the issue quietly, but Letty's index finger on his lips stopped him from finishing his sentence. She obviously knew what he thought and wanted to say.

"It's okay. I'm… okay," she whispered, smiling at him in a reassuring way.

Sometimes, it still amazed her how easy they could go from cracking jokes and teasing each other to serious talk. As soon as one of them noticed a change in the other one's behaviour, they responded to it. No words needed to be said. They both could usually feel right away when something was wrong.

"Now, let me take care of your little problem," Letty smiled, as her hand slowly made its way down to his shaft.

She gave Dom a little peck, and then didn't back away but remained close to his face by pressing her forehead against his so she could actually feel Dom breathing against her lips. Both had their eyes closed. Letty's other hand rested behind Dom's head, touching his scalp.

The instant Dom felt Letty's touch, his mind settled into silence and he was able to completely savor the moment. His hands roamed over her body, not sure where to stay. He attempted to tilt his head back, but she pulled him close again. She obviously wanted to be in charge and he had always had a thing for powerful women. It was damn sexy, almost like old times. It only made him want her more.

As her hand moved faster up and down his thick manhood, Letty could feel Dom's breathing getting heavier. He moaned, and it made her grin. She could get used to this again. It felt damn good, and the longer it kept going on the more comfortable she got with this kind of intimacy.

"You like that, bubba? Told ya, I'm good at this," she murmured, stroking the back of his head.

"I know you are," Dom uttered under his breath. "I choose my girls wisely."

Letty's eyes snapped open. She knew exactly what he meant by that and how he had meant it, but he was definitely not in the position to tease her right now. He should've known what to expect after a comment like that and so her hand stopped doing what it was doing – pleasuring Dom – immediately.

Dom sighed deeply, a murmur of disapproval escaping his mouth. It would not have taken him that much longer to get to the point of full relief, but that was the problem with women having all the power; you never knew when they would turn it against you.

"Ugh, Let, please don't–" That kind of teasing was just mean. He didn't deserve that. Or maybe he did, but still, he wished she hadn't stopped.

"What do you mean by _girls_ , Dom? You got more than just me?" Letty asked him eagerly and raised an eyebrow, trying to contain her laughter when she saw the look on Dom's face as he opened his eyes.

Oh, boy, did he suffer.

It seemed like after days in the desert he had finally found water only to realize that he had been fooled and it was just a mirage. He was aching for something only she had the power to give him, and she liked that. The teasing game was hers to play.

"No, I meant… Past. Tense. One. Just you," Dom fumbled with words, not being able to think straight.

And this was all it took to make Letty lose her self-control.

"Ha-ha," she burst out laughing, "I get you, big boy."

Technically, though, he hadn't chosen her, but they had chosen each other.

Tons of girls had been interested in him, something that had pissed Letty off right from the start day in, day out. And when they finally were together, she still had to drive away skanks that wanted her man. It hadn't been easy for her, but she had decided back then that Dominic Toretto was worth all the trouble and she had never regretted that choice.

And it wasn't like there hadn't been any other options for her.

She had had a bunch of guys chasing after her. While to the most of them, it was all about the thrill of the chase, a game, there had actually been some guys, who seemed to have had good intentions. Later, when she realized Dom finally saw in her the woman he wanted to be with, she used those boys to make him jealous with. She had seen how much he hated it, and she had enjoyed it. Up until that point where she decided they had played this game long enough and it was time for the both of them to stop and just be together.

"Now will you–"

"Finish what I started?" Letty assumed his question would be and Dom nodded, eyes closed again.

"Yeah... Our prenup forbids the use of torture."

Of course she knew there was no such thing as a prenup. As if they were even the kind of people that thought of something like that. They were used to dive head first into things even if those things were as important as getting married. No, that was just Dom trying to be funny, messing with her head to see how much she really remembered. But Letty, as usual, decided to play along.

"It does?" she asked, stressing that last word by dragging it out. "But it's so much fun. You should see your face," Letty laughed, tugging at Dom's earlobe a little with her teeth. "You sure, I signed that?"

"Damn sure," he answered, sighing. "And I'm also pretty sure, what you're doing there counts as torturing, too."

Letty chuckled. It was easy to feel comfortable with being intimate with him again when Dom acted this way. He made her laugh, primarily because he was unintentionally funny and not because he intended to, and it helped make her nervousness disappear.

"You can be so needy, Dominic Toretto," she whispered in his ear, "Anyone ever told you that?" as her hand finally started to do its job again.

Letty's lips touched the skin of his neck while she could feel Dom's hands moving up her back. For a second she wondered if he actually wanted to yank off her bikini top, but abandoned that thought when he buried his hands in her hair instead.

Dom was pleased to know that after all this time, Letty still knew exactly what she was doing. While she worked her magic on him, he felt the need to do the same to her. Did she even know how hard it was for him right now _not_ to be doing it?

He wanted to rip her clothes off so bad, but he knew it just wasn't the right time. It was her decision to say when, and he would and wanted to wait until she was ready for more. Unfortunately, patience wasn't his strong suit. But could he really be blamed for wanting her so much when he hadn't had her in so long?

"There you go," Letty grinned when Dom just couldn't hold it in anymore.

She felt a certain satisfaction in knowing that she still had it in her to make him come like that.

"Feel better?" she asked, kissing his temple.

As she looked at him again, Letty's grin changed into a smile.

"Relieved," Dom replied, opening his eyes and smiling right back at her.

He grabbed her hands, planting a sweet kiss on the back of each of them. "God bless these."

Letty leaned forward to touch his lips with hers.

"These, too," she whispered, looking him deep in the eyes.

Then she kissed him once more, but with her eyes closed this time. She was grateful she got to kiss these lips again, and forever.

When she finally broke the kiss, Dom immediately put his arms around her and pulled her close. Just being able to hold her still meant so much to him. He had missed the simplest things like the smell of her hair and hearing the soothing sound of her breath right next to his ear. It was easy to get lost in this moment. For him as much as it was for her.

Letty felt truly blessed to have her old life back, or at least the memories of that life she once had. Being with Dom now in a way that she couldn't before, because she didn't even understand the feelings she had, was everything to her. She loved him more than she ever had, and that was the thing about having her memories back that scared her the most, because it meant she had so much to lose.

"We really should get going," Letty whispered into his ear.

"What if I'm not ready to let you go yet?" Dom replied quietly, stroking her back.

Letty smiled.

"You have all night to hold me, Dom. I won't leave. I'm not like–"

"Me?" he intervened, slightly backing away from her, and Letty could see the hurt in his eyes.

"What? No, I–" She took his face in her hands and smiled apologetically. "That's not what I meant, I'm– I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're right. _You_ should be the one worrying about having to wake up to an empty bedside, Letty, not me. You didn't–"

Dom sighed deeply, and then continued, "I was the one who put you through that."

Letty realized, it wasn't hurt she saw in his eyes, but regret. Despite the fact she hadn't even gotten to finish her sentence, it seemed like Dom now fully comprehended the true scale of his actions, and how much she had suffered from it. And if she were completely honest with herself, she did fear that he could leave her like that again, even if he had promised her earlier not to.

She took a step away from him and slowly made her way back to the beach.

"How about we work on trusting each other again?" Letty then said, turning around to Dom, and stretched out her hand. "You won't leave me in the middle of the night and I won't run away, but talk to you when it all gets too much." That seemed like a great deal to her. All he had to do was to shake hands on it. "I mean, you don't _ever_ get to leave me," she added quickly, "just to be clear."

Dom couldn't help but smile and was glad to see her smile back.

"So, what do you say? We got ourselves a deal or nah?" Letty asked, moving her fingers in a way to draw his attention to her hand, which Dom understood right away.

"We do," Dom answered, grinning now, as he took her hand and shook it lightly, but then didn't let go. He kept her hand in his, dragged Letty with him towards shore.

It would probably be a lot easier for him to trust her than the other way round, but he wanted to work on regaining her trust every day. He had already done that in the last couple of months when Letty felt like she needed to figure things out on her own. And also when she literally asked him to let her go.

He had stood there, and watch Letty leave him to find herself, because he had known it was the right thing to do and probably the only way for her to ever be happy with herself again. There was a reason someone had once said that if you loved something you needed to let it go to see if it came back to you, and if it did, you knew that it was yours forever; real love, meant to be. And their love was the truest kind.

As Dom put on his clothes again, he caught a glimpse of Letty doing the same. Would he ever be able to put into words the love he felt for her?

On some days, he still had a hard time believing that this was really him, that though guy with the incredibly soft spot, but although he had never thought he would or even _could_ love anyone that much, he wasn't afraid of it anymore. In fact, Dom was even a little proud of himself, because he had really grown up; something Mia had always doubted he ever would when they were still young. And today, this love was out there for the whole world to see – and along with it, a side of him he could barely hide when he was with Letty.

"Thanks for coming along," Dom said, throwing sand on the little bonfire that still tried to light the night to make it go out. "And for, um, that other thing you did," he smirked.

"You're welcome," Letty giggled. "I'm glad I could help. You can–"

She wanted to add that he could repay her later, some other time, but those words never left her mouth. She bit her lip instead. It was odd. She felt like her body really wanted him to explore it, yet her mind was constantly sending out signals that it was still too soon for her to be with him that way, given that she had only recently gotten her memories back. Knowing he would wait for her, however, made her feel like she had all the time in the world to reconcile body and mind.

"I mean, I'm always here to help you out, if you need me. You can trust in that," Letty found other words to say and smiled.

"A wife in need is a wife indeed," Dom replied, as he opened the passenger door of his car.

"God, can you be serious for once?" Letty laughed, filling the gap between them.

When she tried to get in, Dom held her back. Closing his arms around her body so she couldn't get away, he looked at her in silence.

"What?" Letty asked, shifting in his arms a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable now.

Dom liked that he had this affect on her just by looking at her like that. He loved the shy Letty as much as he loved the feisty one. Only a few people even knew that Letty could be sweet like that, with her big mouth shut. The mistake to call her cute was never to be made, though. Such comment was usually followed by a small amount of pain caused by her fist.

"Thank you for coming back to me," Dom breathed with a smile on his lips that finally made that weird feeling, Letty had inside, go away.

"Thank _you_ for letting me go and not trying to convince me to stay," she told him, cupping his cheeks. "You helped me find myself. I'm _me_ , because of _you_."

It hadn't been easy for sure, Dom thought, but he had never questioned her choice to leave. And he had never told her they were married, because then she might've felt like she was being forced into loving him, and there was no way she could've been happy with that. He kept it from Letty, because he simply couldn't make her love him. And that had hurt him the most.

The fact that she had shot him and hadn't even known who he was had done more damage to Dom than he'd been willing to let people see. It had been like walking around with a heart that had forgotten how to beat. But still, he had stood by her, because in every moment they had shared, it felt like his heart finally remembered. _'You never turn your back on family even when they do'_ had been his way of saying that he truly believed she would eventually realize where she really belonged.

 _Some things you just have to take on faith_ , he had told Letty, and that's what he had always done right from the moment he knew she had lost herself. He had continued to love her, have faith and hope in her, making sure that she knew, he'd always be looking out for her. As a friend, if she needed him to be just that, as family, if she chose to consider him that, and, more importantly, as her husband, if she ever recalled.

The latter was the reason why Dom had never thought twice about launching himself off a bridge to grab her, saving Letty from falling to her death. If that had been the last thing he'd ever done in his life, he had done _everything_ right, because it meant that he had fulfilled their wedding vows to each other – ' _You die, I die.'_

' _I'm me, because of you_ ,' Letty's words still lingered in Dom's mind.

Wasn't that true for the both of them?

He'd never had any memory loss other than a mental blackout from drinking too much alcohol, but he certainly wouldn't be who he was if it weren't for her and the fact that she loved him – and allowed him to love her back.

Dom could tell by the way she was looking at him that there was in fact more to her words; that she probably referred to the same thing, he was thinking of right now. They had both helped each other to figure out who they were, starting over 15 years ago.

"I just love you, you know that?" Dom's deep voice finally broke the silence between them. "Everything about you."

" _Everything_? Even when I drive you mad?" Letty asked, smirking, while her heart was smiling at the adorable husband she had. She caressed his cheeks with her thumbs and put her hands to rest on his hips, grabbing the hem of his shirt.

" _Especially_ when you drive me mad," Dom replied, laughing. "You think I want a woman who's meek and mild about everything I do, agrees to just anything and _actually_ listens to me?"

"I don't know, Dom, do you?" Letty pressed her lips together to keep herself from bursting into laughter.

"Oh please, Letty, do I look like _Brian_ to you?" Dom answered.

"Ha-ha! That was–," Letty couldn't help but crack up, leaning forward to bury her head in his chest. "Does your sister know, you think she's that kinda girl?"

"Would I still be alive, if she did?" Dom remarked, running his hands through her hair and stroking the back of her head, as Letty continued to laugh against his chest.

"You do know that sisterhood demands standing up for each other, though, right?" she murmured. "So as her sister-in-law, I have to make sure, you get what you deserve."

Letty calmed herself and looked up to him, trying to keep a straight face, as she told him, "Have you seen what I did to those chicks in Abu Dhabi? I could do the same to you, Toretto."

Dom grinned at her. Although, he hadn't gotten to take a look at the bruises she had left on those guards, he knew of the hard punches Letty could throw. Back in the days, he had experienced them first-hand and had actually been surprised at the pain her small fists were able to cause. Slowly, he put his hands in the air, holding them above his head.

"I surrender," he said with a chuckle, a little groan escaping his mouth when Letty pinched him in the side.

"You better," she retorted, pulling his arms down to grasp Dom's hands.

"We're nothing like Brian and Mia," she thought aloud. "They got that whole settle-down thing all figured out. I don't know, if I could do this, like, for good. Could you?"

While his mind was trying to find an answer to her question, Dom moved his thumbs in circles over her knuckles to keep himself busy.

Could he?

He had done it before, with Elena. He had gotten a taste of what it meant to live a quiet life away from the crazy heists and missions they always did. Before then, he had always thought of it as being boring and a complete waste of his lifetime; thought that he needed to have that kind of adrenaline rush to feel alive. It turned out, he didn't. He had been happy without it.

But maybe, mentioning that time when he was with Elena wasn't such a good thing. He was glad, Letty hadn't brought _that_ one up yet, now that she knew they were married, and _had_ been married when he was with another woman not long after Letty's alleged death. And this probably wasn't the time to talk about their future, anyway. They were still busy trying to find peace in the present.

"I guess, everything is different when you have kids," Dom told her, not knowing of the impact his words would have on her.

In trying to avoid mentioning that other woman, he opened a whole new can of worms, and it seemed like every muscle in Letty's body immediately tensed up. Dom did notice that right away. What he couldn't see was that it made Letty feel like she couldn't breathe. She needed some room, needed this feeling to stop paralyzing her.

"You know, maybe," she pulled away from him, "we shouldn't talk about this right now."

She smiled at him, yet Dom could see that she was faking it. She had been smiling so much the last couple of hours that he could instantly tell that this smile right there wasn't like all the other ones before. It was supposed to cover the sadness that her eyes couldn't hide as much as she wanted them to.

Dom didn't know what had suddenly made her mood swung. Maybe it was the mere thought of having children that scared the shit out of her.

Having lost touch with her felt so wrong in this moment that he wanted to get it back, wanted to comfort her for whatever reason she needed to be comforted, but when he reached out his hand, saying her name, Letty slipped into the passenger seat of the car as quickly as possible.

Closing the door, Dom sighed deeply. This was not how he had wanted this night to end. Why did he ruin it? He should've just told her that he had no idea if he could ever really picture himself doing what his sister and Brian planned to do, devoting himself to a quiet life, then things wouldn't be this messed up right now.

When he got into the car, he noticed Letty staring blankly at the wide ocean in front of her. Dom closed the door, twisted the ignition key to start the car and grabbed the shift knob. Then, he turned his head to the side to address the Latina one more time.

"You okay?" he asked, seriously concerned about her emotional well-being.

Letty nodded, but didn't dare to look at him. Still, Dom could spot that single tear on her face that made its way down her cheek, falling from her chin onto her lap. In what world did that mean she was okay?

It bothered him that there was absolutely nothing he could do. If she didn't want to talk about it, that was it. No one could make her do anything she didn't want to, not even Dominic Toretto himself. Leticia Ortiz had a mind of her own and there was no way breaking it.

Unfortunately, he just had to live with the fact that she was _not_ okay.


	3. Girls Talk

**A/N: Beyond grateful for all the love. Thank you so much!  
**

 **As for Letty and her little breakdown in this one, I thought it was a bit out of character at first, but then re-watched Fast 6 and Furious 7 (that one scene with unconscious Dom in particular) and read it again and was cool with it. I think she's an emotional character, just not used to showing it much. But I guess this is a matter of opinion after all, so I can only hope you're with me on that one.**

 **Enjoy X**

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 _Dom and Letty spent the entire ride in silence, one that weighed heavy on Dom's heart. As they arrived at the house, which for the time being was their home, about an hour away from 1327, Dom stopped the car._

He opened his mouth to say something, yet couldn't form any words. So he looked at Letty, kind of expecting her to speak in his place, but she remained silent. And she did so for all of the time they spent getting ready for bed.

After they had crawled under the covers, Letty rolled onto her side, turning away from him. Dom let out a loud breath that carried all of his frustration. What on earth had he done wrong, said wrong?

He could see a sudden movement of Letty's shoulders, how his deep sigh made her cringe. _Good_ , he thought, _so she heard me_. It wasn't like he was angry with her, he just didn't understand, and he hated whenever there was something going on with her that he couldn't make sense of.

Dom gently moved towards her, spooning her from behind, as he wrapped both his arms around Letty's small figure. Much to his surprise, she didn't back away from him this time, but curled up against his body. He tightened his grip, wanting her to feel completely safe.

"I got you, baby," he whispered against her hair, which was followed by a kiss that he planted on top of it.

Letty clasped his arms with her hands in a heartbeat, needing to feel his touch as strongly as possible. It made Dom smile.

But that smile got wiped off his face as soon as he felt a drop of water on his arm. Was she crying again? If only she would say something.

It seemed like holding her was all he could do for now to get her to talk to him again, though, and he just hoped that tomorrow would be different. He missed her precious smile already.

"This has always been my favorite part of the day," Dom mentioned quietly, taking a deep breath. "It still is."

Just because she didn't want to talk, it didn't mean he had to stop talking, too.

"When I get to hold you at night," he explained, "knowing that you'll be the first thing I see when I wake up. I love that."

He paused for a second, and then added, "I love you."

 _If she were to turn around, she could've seen him smiling, but Letty had her eyes closed, crying silently. She didn't know why she couldn't just stop thinking about it. It was buried deep in the past and right now she was actually happy. She was supposed to be happy._

Slowly becoming conscious again after being asleep, Letty remembered the pain she had felt in that moment.

Everything had been perfect, but then it all changed. And it hadn't been his fault. _She_ had set the ball rolling it by asking him that stupid question and although she'd been acting like a dick last night, not telling him what was going on, he had been so sweet. They both had fallen asleep eventually, first Dom then her. Her mind had taken hours to shut up; it was a miracle that she'd even gotten some sleep.

When Letty finally opened her eyes, that thought of having treated him wrong preying on her mind, making her feel like she needed to apologize right away, the other side of the bed was empty. Dom was gone.

Almost immediately tears welled up in Letty's eyes as she felt a stinging pain in her heart. She must've been still asleep, because this had to be a goddamn nightmare.

Not again.

He promised her.

He fucking promised her to stay.

And then, Letty discovered the note. That piece of paper on Dom's pillow with a message from him, staring at her like it was trying to tell her, she should've trusted him in the first place and be sorry, she didn't.

As she took it, her hand quivered with emotions. Brushing a tear away with her other hand, she started reading it.

 _Mi linda esposa, (My beautiful wife,)_

 _I'm really sorry I left. I didn't mean to upset you. I just figured, after last night, you could use some space. But I'll be there if you need me. You text, I come. Promise._

 _Eres la razón por la cual me levanto sonríendo cada mañana. (You're the reason why I wake up smiling every day.)_

 _Te amo,_

 _Dom_

Letty read it again, and again.

Although she wished, he would've stayed to tell her that in person, the note meant a lot. It meant he had taken her worries seriously and wanted her to trust him that he would never leave her again without a word.

And Letty couldn't help but smile at the fact that Dom had even tried to pay attention to his usually poor handwriting. She could read everything perfectly.

Putting the note away, she took a deep breath and got out of bed. After she had changed into something comfortable, she grabbed her phone. The least she could do was thanking him in a way that he understood.

 _"I love you, too,"_ Letty texted him, wondering where Dom would be when he got to read her message.

Letting the phone disappear into the pocket of her jeans, she slowly made her way down the stairs.

 _You're the reason why I wake up smiling every day_ the note had said, and she asked herself, if the smile on his face had been just a little sad today, because of what had happened last night. She hoped not. She really didn't want him to feel sad.

"Heeeey," Mia's voice welcomed her, as she entered the kitchen and, soon after, Letty found herself embraced in a hug, which she gladly returned. She could use a hug now.

"Where is everyone?" Letty asked.

"Out," Mia answered, as she let go.

"Rome and Tej are probably fighting over Ramsay while she's watching them making a fool of themselves," she joked, "Brian is with Jack and I don't really know where my brother is... Wasn't very chatty this morning, only said hi and then basically just left. No idea what that was all about."

Letty pricked up her ears when she heard Mia talking about Dom.

"What do you mean? Was he sad?"

She wasn't quite sure whether she really liked to hear the answer to that one.

"All I know is something must've been bothering him. He probably didn't sleep very well. You know how he is when he doesn't get enough sleep. Didn't dare to ask," Mia told her, laughing a little while she put a cup of coffee on the kitchen table.

"Thanks," Letty said, sitting down.

She brought the cup to her mouth, took a sip of the hot beverage and put it back on the table. Thinking of Dom, she sighed. It was without a doubt that he hadn't gotten much sleep because of her.

Now, she appreciated his gesture even more. Writing her a note when, apparently, he was disappointed with her, frustrated or maybe even angry, showed how much he really cared, no matter what she had done.

"Letty? You're still with me?"

Mia's voice brought her back from last night and into the present.

"I'm sorry, I was just– What did you say?"

Letty smiled, trying to cover her mind's preoccupation. Should she tell Mia about it? About everything? Wouldn't that be unfair to Dom. He'd probably be furious with her. No, she couldn't do that to him, especially not after she had given him the cold shoulder last night.

"I asked you how you've been since– Well, you know, remembering everything. I'm sure that must be a lot to take in."

Letty shifted in her chair, thinking about whether she should tell Mia what had happened last night. She decided not to, and after taking another sip of her coffee, she was ready to say something.

"I'm actually pretty good. I mean it's– There's still so much to figure out, but I feel like I've always known where I belong. Life's giving me a second chance now, I wanna embrace it. I really can't wait to get out there again and just be _me_ , you know. Finally!"

"So you're happy?" Mia asked.

"The happiest I've ever been, Mi," Letty told her, as she tried to ignore the doubts and insecurities that made her feel like something wasn't quite right yet. Compared to the past, she had never been so grateful to be living that life she lived. Everything had taken a turn for the better.

"Then _why_ do you look like a kid whose dog just died?"

Letty had become fairly good at putting sincerity behind words she didn't believe in to hide what she really felt, but Mia knew her too well. She couldn't conceal anything from her right now, as Letty's body language spoke volumes. And it only took a few seconds until she cracked.

"Because of... Dom," Letty burst out. "It's complicated. I didn't– I never thought it'd be easy, getting back to normal, but why does it have to be so hard?"

She rested her arms on the table for a few moments to bury her face in them. It was frustrating. She wished she could just snap her fingers and make it all go away.

"Everything's fine, I mean we're really great," Letty continued, raising her head to look at Mia again, "but I feel like there's so much stuff to talk about... that we _should_ talk about... But I don't even know how– _if_ I should bring it up, because it's in the past and… shouldn't we just focus on the present?"

Mia showed her a smile and sat down opposite Letty.

"You should," she started, putting one hand on Letty's arm, "but I also think that if it bothers you so much, you really need to talk about it. You can't bottle it all up, Let. Think about what's it gonna do to you. You've always told me to speak my mind, because not doing it will only make me feel worse. Maybe it's time you follow your own advice."

Letty considered her options. Either she tried to shut up her mind for good and just be grateful for the second chance she had gotten or she put everything out there and risked to have her happiness with Dom ruined. The first one seemed to be the better option, but Mia was right. How long could she even keep things to herself until everything went south?

"I'm scared," Letty admitted.

"Of what? My brother?" Mia asked while she stroke Letty's arm with her hand as way to comfort her.

"Why would you be scared? Just talk to him, he'll understand. And if he doesn't, then I'm here to knock some sense into him," Mia laughed.

Looking reassuringly at Letty, she wondered what was really going on in that pretty head of hers. It was easy to know what Letty thought when she was angry, because then she could hardly keep her temper. But when she was sad, it was a whole lot different. She fell silent, forcing other people to worm out of her whatever it was she was hiding. It took a lot of patience. Thank God, she was nothing like her brother when it came to that. Mia could be extremely patient when she needed to be, especially with Letty.

After Dom had left, Mia had watched her dear sister suffer for weeks, but she hadn't done anything about it other than being there for her, because she knew Letty needed to come to terms with that loss in her own time. It was only when Letty started to put herself in danger that Mia's patience snapped.

" _I'm not gonna sit here and watch you kill yourself, so get your shit together and do something. I don't care what it is, but I care that my brother's gone, and I don't wanna have to live without my sister, too."_

At first, Mia had thought her words were of little avail, but then Letty had disappeared into the garage every single day and night for hours. Later, Mia found out that Letty had worked on Dom's Charger the entire time. She had put her anger, disappointment and hurt into fixing that car, which, Mia thought, was much better than risking her life.

However, she still had had to live without her sister, because that job for Braga had taken Letty away from her for years. Knowing how devastated she herself had been losing her, Mia could only imagine how hard it must've been for Dom. And knowing her brother, he was probably over the moon right now to have his girl back.

Since Letty still hadn't said anything, Mia tried to pump her for some more information. "C'mon, talk to me," she told her, "Anything else you worry about?" and smiled.

After a moment's hesitation, Letty finally opened her mouth. "You sure you wanna know, because– "

"Of course I wanna know, silly," Mia interrupted her. "Spill!"

In her head, Letty tried to find a way how to put into words what it was that she couldn't really stop thinking about ever since Dom had wanted her to go skinny-dipping with him. It wasn't easy, but if Mia got the point then she might be able to help her.

"Have you ever– When you saw Brian again after you two were broken up, you know, after... I was gone and you got back together... Have you ever– Were you worried that he might feel different about what you, um, had to offer."

"What do you mean _to offer_?" Mia asked confused, but thought about it for moment and finally understood. "Oh, you mean like my body? If I was worried he wouldn't be as attracted to me anymore as he used to be?"

Mia tried not to laugh, as she recalled the past. Technically speaking, she hadn't even had the time to worry about anything, because she had been all over Brian in that kitchen before her mind even knew what was happening. She had just wanted to be with him again. However, Letty had to have a good reason to ask her that.

"Why do you– " Mia continued, but then saw Letty raising both her eyebrows with a look on her face that was quiet unequivocal.

"Wait, you guys haven't yet?" Mia concluded, as she looked at Letty, who shook her head. It wasn't like Mia had thought they were doing it like bunnies, but the fact that they had done nothing at all, came as a surprise to her.

"I see," Mia responded. "And now you're afraid of what he'll say when he sees you naked?!" she figured this was what Letty had meant and Mia couldn't help but find that somewhat adorable.

The old Letty she knew, especially the teenage version of her, would've never worried about anything like that. That she did now, just showed how much Letty had grown; how much more mature Dom and Letty's love had become. There was nothing immature about their relationship anymore. Their behavior was sometimes, but not their love.

"I feel like I never even _had_ sex with Dom and it's driving me insane," Letty groaned, a feeling of frustration resonating.

"Eww, please, can we not call him by his name," Mia laughed, screwing up her face in disgust, "because I don't like to picture my brother having sex, not with you anyway."

For the first time in quiet a long while, Letty curled up her lips into a grin.

"That's why I asked you beforehand, if ya really wanna know," she said, freeing her arm from Mia's grip to give her friend's shoulder a little push with one hand. "You should've let me finish. Now you're stuck with that image in your head. Have fun!"

"I'm trying to be serious here," Mia chuckled, forcing herself to quit laughing, which wasn't the easiest thing to do.

"So why is it driving you insane? You had your first time with him, just do it again," Mia told her, smirking.

"Our last first time was a quickie on a hood of a car, I was hardly realizing what was happening," Letty stated, running one hand through her hair. "After everything we've been through, I just want it to be perfect. _I_ wanna be perfect for him," she admitted, both to Mia and herself.

She knew she wasn't perfect, but she had never thought she needed to be, because Dom had loved her anyway.

Those skanks hadn't been much of a competition. But now, he had been with Elena, and that chick seemed annoyingly perfect to Letty. Her body, her face, everything looked goddamn perfect. Even with short hair, she was more goddess than tomboy. And the job she had was probably a turn-on for every guy around, too. The thing that she hated the most, though, was that Elena was really nice and it made Letty like her. She could easily tell why Dom had fallen for this woman.

"It's ridiculous. I never gave a damn, not like that, but–"

"You've changed so much. You both have," Mia interrupted her before Letty could speak her mind, "You care more about each other than you ever have. I mean, I can tell, because I know you long enough, but literally _everyone_ can see that."

Mia smiled as she went on, "The way you look at him, _talk_ to him, there's so much more respect, and growth. You've come so far, Let, and I'm so proud of you."

A smile tugged at the corners of Letty's lips. Mia was sweet; and right.

Of course she and Dom weren't the same people anymore, as their love had grown to be the core of their beings, a fling that had turned into a marriage, but wasn't that supposed to make her feel _less_ insecure about her relationship?

Not exactly, Letty thought, because now she was fully aware of the feelings she had for Dom and the things she had to lose while back in the days she had still thought that, should tragedy happen, she could easily live without him.

"And have you seen him look at you? Gee, he's basically undressing you with his eyes." Mia said, laughing a little. "He loves you, I know that. I _see_ that. And you're like his favorite road, you've got the perfect curves. Why would you worry about that?"

Mia really wanted to make Letty feel better about herself. She didn't know if it worked, trying was all she could do, as this lack of self-confidence, at least in terms of Letty's relationship, was a side of the Latina Mia hadn't really gotten to know yet. Letty usually kept these things to herself, hoping they would vanish into thin air.

"It's not a science, Letty, you two will probably be completely in sync again as soon as the magic happens. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't care how your body looks as long as he's the one getting to touch it... which he will, so–"

"He's been with Elena," Letty murmured, as that feeling inside of her became almost unbearable, pushing her to put its cause into words. "He's been with Elena, and it wasn't just a fling, Mi, it was– They had a relationship. They had a _life_ together. And it's all I can think about when I think of... us... and being with him."

Letty swallowed hard, her eyes were covered by a wet layer and her voice started to fill with sadness.

"I'm nothing like her and I don't wanna be, but what if he starts comparing?" Letty wondered, hardly finished giving vent to her feelings.

It wasn't like she had lost every bit of self-esteem, but the wound her ego had suffered was deeper than Letty liked it to be. Not knowing what exactly it was that had been going on between Dom and Elena, if it had been love or just a kind of rebound thing, drove her mind crazy, and was a trigger for her anxiety.

"He left her for me. He chose _me_ , because he thought I'm still the same girl, but I'm not. I've changed. What if I'll _be_ with him and then he'll regret ever choosing me over her? I don't know what he really felt for Elena. Did he love her? I mean, _really_ love her, you know, like he loved... loves... me. What if I had ran into Dom two years after? Was he going to have kids with her if I hadn't shown up?"

Letty paused only for a second, but in that short moment scattered thoughts went through her head like a violent storm passing through a small village, wreaking havoc.

"It's killing me not to know these things, Mia, it seriously is, and I don't wanna– I can't ask him these things because I don't wanna ruin what we have," she blubbered out, letting some tears run freely.

"We're finally _with_ each other again and it feels so right, like, how can I bring that up without ruining everything?"

Even if she didn't cry hard, she got a stuffy nose almost immediately after the first tears started running. She also couldn't control the sobs that shook her small figure like a baby shook its rattle. Letty simply hated crying, especially when she couldn't stop.

"God, I _hate_ him for doing that! I wish I could hate her, but– How could he even move on so fast? Did my death mean nothing to him? I know it did, so why– Ugh, I just don't get it."

She missed the old times when she was younger and still knew how to deal with her emotions in a way that no one could see how she really felt. As a teenager, she had hardly ever cried. It was Dom, who had first seen her doing that, and he was the one who had told her it was okay to let go, every now and then, and cry. He was the reason why she had started letting her tears fall in the first place and why she was crying now.

It always came back to him.

Dominic Toretto had left a mark on her, had shaped her character like no one else in her life could've possibly done. It wasn't like she needed him to breathe, she still was someone without him, just not really herself.

"Whoa, slow down, okay?" Mia tried to calm her.

It broke her heart to see Letty's hard shell crack like glass under her feet, exposing her soft core. She knew how much Letty hated it, and that it only made it worse for her. Mia was sure that if Letty could, she would probably want to not feel a damn thing right now.

"You're hurt, Letty," Mia stated the obvious. "What Dom did clearly hurt you, it still does, and that's the thing that's most important, that's the reason why you gotta tell him."

Mia rose from her chair and went up to Letty. Standing next to her, she reached out her hand and smiled.

"Let me show you something. It might make you feel better."

Letty emptied her cup at one gulp, grabbed Mia's hand and got up.

As her sister-in-law guided her into the living room, Letty managed to get control of her emotions again. She really hoped that whatever Mia wanted to show her would not make things worse again.

"I couldn't save much from Shaw's bomb, but the cam was in the garage and somehow that survived so it's still intact," Dom's sister explained.

"Now, you sit down," Mia continued, taking the video camera out of the cabinet, and, handing it to Letty, who had settled herself on the couch, told her to "watch this."

"Why would I wanna watch some stupid video you recorded," Letty asked confused.

"God, Letty, would you just–" Mia growled in a fit of pique, obviously frustrated with Letty's attitude.

"Okay, okay, baby," Letty laughed at Mia's sulky tone, pulling off the camera lens's protection lid, "I will."

The first thing she heard, as she pressed play, was Brian's voice.

"I gotta tape this, Mi. I can hear him getting all mushy," Brian laughed. "This is seriously gonna be good. I can use that to blackmail him."

Then Letty heard Mia laughing, calling Brian out for being mean.

Blackness turned into a colorful image, as Brian quietly pushed open a door to what appeared to be a nursery. Letty saw Dom sitting in a chair, rocking a little baby in his arms. It took her some time to realize that the baby was Jack.

" _You're gonna be a great racer one day, Jack. I know, because your dad is the best one out there. But don't tell him I said that," Dom laughed._

The little boy's existence was a blessing for the whole family.

Dom had always imagined Mia to have kids one day, but he'd never thought she would have them with an ex-cop, nor did he ever think that said ex-cop would turn out to be his best friend. Dom loved how ironic life could be sometimes.

He watched Jack closely, as the little one sucked on his uncle's index finger. It filled his heart with joy. So much indeed that he could not take his eyes off of Mia's baby, not even for a second. It was too precious.

"Look how handsome you are," Dom whispered, smiling. "You'll be breaking a lot of hearts real soon."

If Jack could learn anything from him, it would be how to let girls down gently, or lead them on for fun. He had lots of training in that, years of experience in fact. But he wasn't that same guy anymore thanks to that one girl, who had turned his world upside down in next to no time.

"But one day," Dom started talking to Jack again, holding that thought still in his mind, "there'll be a girl, who might be able to break yours. One you will fall for and then everything changes, even you, _especially_ you."

Dom ran his hand over the infant's head. All Jack thought about was probably sleeping, eating, drinking and pooping. He didn't have a mind full of memories yet, a past that hurt like hell – unlike Dom.

"I've been there, ya know. I thought I had met every kind of girl that walks the planet, but then _she_ came along," Dom said. "Letty."

The stinging pain in his chest when he said her name out loud, made him sigh deeply. It was as if he wished for the pain to leave his body with the air he breathed out.

"I wish you'd gotten to meet her. I'm sorry, you never will, bud."

Closing his eyes to hold back tears, Dom kissed the boy's forehead. It wasn't that hard to stop himself from crying, but for a second he wondered if it would be even easier if he didn't; if he just cried to get it all out.

"But I promise, I'm gonna tell you all about her. Everything you wanna know, even if it makes me look bad, because your aunt's always been a force to be reckoned with."

He put his arms up, holding Jack right in front of his face. The boy gave his uncle a charming smile and there was something about it that reminded Dom of himself. It was the trademark Toretto grin.

"Something's telling me, that's the stories you like to hear most about," Dom chuckled, hinting at the look on Jack's face.

Holding his nephew against his shoulder, so the little boy could rest his head on it, Dom patted Jack's back, wondering for a minute, if this was something he could see himself doing with his own child. So far, there was nothing he didn't like about having a baby around. He even liked changing Jack's diapers.

"I can see you, you know," Dom mumbled, grinning broadly.

"Oh snap," Brian laughed.

"I'm having a heart-to-heart with my nephew here," Dom told him, "and you're invading my privacy, O'Conner."

Brian walked into the room, the video camera still in his hands and recording.

As he took a close look at Dom, he realized that the calm expression his brother wore on his face was probably a sharp contrast to what had to be going on in Dom's mind.

Brian was grateful that Dom had found someone like Elena, who made him smile again. He didn't care much about the reason why those two were together as long as Dom was happy, though he had always wondered.

But talking about Letty and remembering her, would never be easy for Dom no matter how happy he was in life. That loss was a scar that was meant to bleed.

"She'd be proud of you, Dom" Brian said in a whisper, smiling at him. "The way you're holding up... We _all_ are. You know that, right?"

"Still can't believe she's gone," Dom answered sadly, heaving a sigh as he lowered his head.

Some days were harder than others, but he always missed her dearly. He used to be able to remember not only her voice, but her scent, too. That was the only thing that had faded from his memory. Every little other thing that there was to remember about her, he still did.

" _Now turn that damn thing off," Dom demanded of Brian as he looked up again, using his free hand to push the camera out of his face._

Letty still stared at the screen after it had turned black, taking in all the images she had just seen and the words she'd heard, trying to figure out if that made her feel better or worse.

Seeing Dom with Jack had definitely aroused a feeling of regret, because she couldn't have shared that moment with him, and secondly, because she might've taken away from him something he really wanted. And seeing the pain he tried to hide so bad when he had talked about her, made her feel like she needed to call him right now to tell him how much she loved him, and how proud she was indeed that he had continued to be the greatest man she'd ever known, one who had always put the well-being of his loved ones before his own and kept on doing so.

"What is this," Letty muttered, still wrapped in thoughts.

Mia took the video camera from her and put it away. Watching that scene had obviously touched Letty. All she needed to know now was in what way. She really hoped for the best.

"This was recorded shortly after Jack was born, right before we found out that– Well, that you were still alive," Mia replied, "I just wanted you to know that Dom did not forget about you when he was with Elena."

Positioning herself right next to her friend on the couch, Mia put an arm around her shoulder.

"Listen, I can't tell you how he felt or what Elena meant to him, but how is Dom supposed to know _you_ feel that way when you don't tell him? He deserves a chance to explain himself, you just gotta talk to him. Promise me, you'll talk to him," Mia pleaded.

Letty rested her head on Mia's shoulder, sighing deeply. She knew, Mia was right, but that didn't change the fact that she was scared to ruin things with Dom, if she didn't let the past go, now that the present was exactly that, a gift, and the future was theirs to create. But she obviously couldn't focus on either of that with Dom's past with Elena still lingering on her mind.

"Fine," Letty agreed, "I promise."

When she turned her head, she looked right into Mia's face, which was lightened up by a smile.

Mia cupped Letty's cheeks and used her thumbs to brush away the last remaining tears that hadn't made it all the way down to Letty's chin, but had stayed just beneath her eyes as a reminder of her little breakdown.

"That's better," Mia whispered, still smiling, and was a little bit surprised to see Letty smiling back.

"Thank you for showing me the vid," Letty said, hugging Mia tightly to let her actions speak for her.

It meant a lot to Letty that she had become a witness to that scene. Even if that thing with Elena wasn't sorted out yet, it was a relief to know that she had still been on Dom's mind back then. She didn't think he had easily forgotten about her, but seeing him like that, just made her feel better. She couldn't really explain it, but that was all she needed right now – to feel better.

"I love you," Letty declared quietly. "You're the best sister-in-law anyone could ever wish for."

"Yeah, about that," Mia started, letting go of Letty, "there's something I still need to do."

Before Letty could even ask about it, Mia punched her hard against the shoulder.

"Ow, what the hell, Mi," Letty complained, rubbing her shoulder in pain, "What was that for?"

"You not inviting me to your wedding," Mia replied, which sounded more like a suggestion than an actual statement.

"Oh, right… That."

Letty knew, she could've probably figured that out herself, if she'd only thought long enough. Calling Mia her sister-in-law was the clue to Mia's reaction. She hadn't known about it. No one had. They all only knew now, because Letty had mentioned it when she had tried to get Dom to wake up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It just happened so fast, we didn't invite anyone. We wanted it to be just us, you know?"

Letty paused for a while to relive that memory. Their wedding had been absolutely perfect, all the more because no one else had been around to witness it.

"And then we– When I wanted to tell you, everything else happened and I think I just... forgot," she continued, not wanting to think of that again, so she added quickly, "but I'm really glad you know now."

"Are you officially a Toretto? I mean, have you changed your last name," Mia asked, getting extremely curious, and that was exactly what Letty had hoped for since it left her mind no time to walk down memory lane – the dark one.

"Well, you know me, I'm actually not that kinda girl. I find that way too old-fashioned," Letty replied. "But it meant so much to Dom to make it official, I couldn't– To be honest, he was starting to get annoying, so I eventually gave in. And since he can call me Mrs Toretto now, he gets to stroke his ego a bit every once in a while. That keeps him happy and off my back, ya know?," she laughed, and Mia joined in.

Letty remembered when they had talked about this. He'd wanted her to adopt his name, said he had always imagined her becoming a Toretto. It was sweet, but she still had struggled with it, because Letty felt like she'd always been Mrs Toretto at heart, and that was way more important than seeing it written down on a piece of paper, which she had to sign. She had argued why it always needed to be the girl who took the guy's name, but soon she came to realize that, after all, she wanted nothing more than to make him happy and so she changed it.

"You got my brother right where you want him. You always had. That's why you're perfect for him, because you just have what it takes put up with his crap," Mia giggled.

"Meaning his ego," Letty laughed.

"That certainly doesn't run in the family," Mia mentioned, as she tried to stop laughing. It was hard not to have a good laugh at her brother's expense. She always loved to make fun of her brother, particularly with Letty. There was nothing like this kind of sisterhood.

"Maybe he was adopted and you two aren't really related," Letty joked.

This was all it took to make Mia laugh herself to tears and she put a hand on her stomach, as it was already starting to hurt from all the laughing. Cracking jokes with Letty was an intensive and hearty workout of her risible muscles. She needed some time to concentrate on her breath, trying to calm herself. When she'd finally managed to do that, she looked at Letty, who had a smirk on her face that almost made Mia burst out laughing again.

"Okay, so I have a question and you gotta answer this, because I always wondered what Dom would do, _if_ he ever made it that far. Understand?"

Letty nodded, grinning.

"How did he propose," Mia was dying to know, clapping her hands in excitement. She was such a fangirl sometimes, especially when it came to Dom and Letty. She just couldn't help herself.

"Did he get down on one knee? That'd be so weird. I mean, no offense, but you guys don't seem like you're even into this sappy rowing-in-a-boat-together kind of thing."

Letty's mouth escaped a hearty laugh. They definitely weren't, but that didn't mean that she didn't like a touch of cheesy romance every once in a while. She wouldn't let Mia know, though, because Dom's little sister didn't need to know everything about their relationship, even if she was their biggest fan.

"He used engine oil to write 'will you marry me' on my car," Letty stated without showing emotion, but couldn't contain herself any longer when she saw the look of astonishment on Mia's face.

"Ha-ha, I'm just kidding, girl," she laughed, "sorry to disappoint you."

Letty knew, it wasn't actually that hard to believe that this was how the proposal had gone down since it did seem like something Dom would maybe think of, but the reality was a bit different.

"Tell me, though, what makes you even think, he was the one who proposed," Letty wanted to know, raising an eyebrow.

She could read right into the way Mia was looking at her. She probably thought that this comment had just made the whole thing even more exciting; all the more reason for Mia wanting to hear the whole story.

"Are you serious right now," Mia squealed, as soon as she had pulled herself together, patting Letty on the knee a few times. "I swear to God, if you're messing with me again, Leticia Ortiz, you're dead. For real this time."

"If you really wanna know, I'll tell you," Letty smirked.

"So you _were_ the one who propos–"

"I didn't say that," Letty interrupted her, leaning back against the couch. "But I'm also not saying, I wasn't," she teased.

"So, you want details or no details?"

The fact she could even ask that question without having to mention that she couldn't remember a lot of details was a blessing for her. She was deeply grateful to be able to tell Mia everything she wanted to know about that day simply because she remembered it all. Having gotten her memories back was one of the best things that had ever happened to her. _The_ best thing, however, was finding, and marrying, her true love.

"You kidding, sis? I wanna know _everything_ ," Mia laughed.


	4. The Proposal

**A/N: Just to let you know, I rewrote the end of chapter 3. After seeing that one deleted scene I simply couldn't stick to my version of the story, so Letty did have her last name changed to Toretto.**

 **To the anon, who gave that long review: That part about chap 2 and 3 got me thinking in ways I haven't yet, so thank you. Always appreciate food for thought. I'll try to use Dom's character to change tack in terms of her body issues, though I always had this idea about how to explain that. Maybe I'll stick to that or do both. Will see. As for Dom's emotions and how he felt when he thought Letty was dead, I was planning to tackle that issue later in the story and I hope you'll like it when you read it. Also gotta thank you for that huge compliment on my language skills. Really means a lot. (I still wish I had a richer vocabulary tho.)  
**

 **Now, remember y'all, the following part is actually a flashback, as Letty is recalling that memory to tell Mia. Somehow this chapter turned out to be the longest...** **I tried to not make it too cheesy, but I guess at some point my inner fangirl got unleashed.** ** **I hope you like the mess she did** X  
**

 **Rating: M (just to be safe) **

* * *

It had been two days since Letty threw that bag at him, asking him where to sleep. Two days in which they had rekindled the spark in their relationship in a way that made them both feel like they had just fallen for each other and not decades ago. It all felt different than before. They had never been so in love.

Waking up next to him immediately brought a smile to her lips. Letty felt Dom's arm wrapped around her upper body, his breath tickling the skin right next to her ear. Slowly she turned around in his embrace. As she faced him, she noticed how calm his expression was.

He usually worried so much about everything and everyone when he was awake, even when he didn't want people to know, that whenever he was asleep Letty felt like this was really the only time when his mind and his soul were truly at peace.

Dom always needed to have a good night's rest to recharge his battery, and got terribly grumpy when he didn't, so Letty had learned not to wake him up before he opened his eyes on his own accord. Most times when she was awake before him, she slipped quietly out of the room. This time, however, she stayed.

Letty studied his face, took notice of every detail of it. He had gotten a little old, you could tell, she thought, then smirked, thinking that she better not let _him_ hear that. He wouldn't like it. He wanted to stay young forever so he could keep doing the kids' stuff like chasing around in cars, stealing things, making stupid jokes and basically just act immature.

Kids.

Letty had never actually thought about it, but if there were one good reason for Dom finally wanting to grow up and stop being a kid, it would probably be having one of his own. Or was she completely wrong to think that? Maybe so.

It was not like she could even picture herself having a kid right now. Besides, she would probably be the worst mother ever. She wasn't cut out to be a mom. Unlike Dom's sister. If anything, she could be a great aunt to Mia's kids – if Mia would ever have any. Dom on the other hand, as caring and sweet as he was, would be an amazing father.

Letty closed her eyes and shook her head lightly as if to get rid off those thoughts. Why now think about expanding their family when they had forever to figure that out. And shouldn't they be married first anyway? Did they even want to go there? Did Dom want to? What if she were to ask him? Would he say yes?

Letty opened her eyes again and couldn't help but giggle to herself. The things he made her mind wander off to were crazy – and yet she couldn't stop thinking about them.

Marriage unlike kids was something she could indeed picture herself getting into. Even at this very moment she could imagine looking at her husband instead of _just_ her boyfriend. As a matter of fact, she felt a wave of excitement rushing through her body at the mere thought of it, and slowly but surely Letty's mind became aware of what her heart had known all along. There was absolutely nothing that could keep them both apart. They were meant to spend their lives together and life would always find a way to reunite them, if they were ever forced to part ways again like they were before.

She had never really thought about marrying him some day and they hadn't talked much about getting married either. And when they had, she had always told him how crazy he was to even bring that up. But like Dom had said two days ago ' _Life had a way of changing one's plans_ ,' and life obviously wanted them to change theirs. Being able to track him down after she had almost given up on ever finding him was proof enough that their bond was to last for a lifetime, so why shouldn't they make it official under the law, with God as their witness?

"Are you watching me sleep?"

Dom's thick, sleepy voice almost gave Letty a heart attack. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that everything else had just faded out, including him.

"You're awake," Letty smiled happily.

Dom had his eyes still closed, but smiled back at her, his cheek nestling up against her hand as she caressed the right side of his face.

To him, there was nothing more satisfying than waking up after a good night's sleep, to the love of his life, knowing they had all the time in the world to cuddle – and do other stuff – before they had to leave the cosiness of their bed.

"C'mere," he whispered, pulling her closer.

Letty put her arms around him, resting her head against Dom's shoulder right next to his. She gave him a little peck on his neck and started to massage the bare skin on his scalp with her hand. When she heard him sigh with pleasure she smirked.

"Slept well?" Letty asked him quietly and felt Dom responding with a nod.

After a few minutes of just holding him tight, stroking his head, Letty faced him again. Dom welcomed her with a big smile.

Letty looked him deep in the eyes while she let her hand rest on his cheek, moving her thumb in circles over it.

He was so very handsome, especially with that bright look on his face. She was a lucky woman to be able to call him her boyfriend. She could only imagine how amazing it would be to get to call him her husband. For her, it wasn't a question of _if_ anymore, just _when_. Maybe she would find out real soon how it felt like to be married to him. All she needed to do was ask him, and she really _wanted_ to do that. She just didn't know how yet; if there would ever be such thing as right timing.

Letty felt like it'd be easier for her to plan their next heist than to figure out how to pop the question to someone she had known almost all her life. How could that be? It wasn't like she was scared of what his answer would be, she just wanted the moment to be perfect.

"If I get to start all mornings like this, I'll die a happy man," Dom's voice sounded, that smile still on his lips.

"You mean with a massage?" Letty chuckled, running one finger over his lips before she rested her hand on the mattress.

Dom shook his head, tucking a strand of Letty's hair behind her ear.

"With you," he corrected her, "That massage is just a bonus, I feel very honored to receive."

His smile turned into a grin and his hand did exactly the same thing as Letty's had done earlier. It cupped her cheek, and Dom had his thumb move up and down as a sign of affection.

She was absolutely beautiful, Dom thought, especially in the mornings when she was still drowsy with sleep and her hair all messed up from all the tossing and turning in bed during the night. He loved that look on her. Thinking about today, Dom had no doubt that the thing he had planned would sweep her off her feet. He wanted her to remember that day for as long as she lived.

After she had spent a while just returning his meaningful look and not saying anything, Letty asked curiously, "And what do I get?" as she grinned back at Dom.

"You get me. What more do you need?" Dom answered amused.

Letty stifled a laugh. That man was completely full of himself, but that was only one of the many reasons why Letty loved him so much. She couldn't imagine Dominic Toretto without his ego. It had caught her attention right from the start, and she was attracted to it still.

"Right now, a kiss is all," she stated in response to his comment and smiled.

Dom fumbled around with strands of her hair, taking his time to respond.

"Where?" he then asked with a wide smirk on his face, looking at her suggestively, but not giving Letty a chance to react, as he added quickly, "Oh, say no more."

Dom licked his lips and crawled under the blanket, lowering himself until his head was between her legs. It was only then that Letty became fully aware of his intentions.

"What are ya doing?" she laughed, "Dom, no, this is not what I meant."

Dom completely ignored Letty's little protest, as he got down to action with his mouth on her lower body. She would thank him for that later.

Soon Letty's laughter faded away and she started releasing moans of pleasure. She hadn't asked for it, but she sure as hell didn't mind either. It was amazing how great he could actually be when he didn't use his mouth to talk but had it speak to her in a way that addressed every fiber of her body like he did now.

She moaned his name, once, twice, as her muscles tightened. When she held her pelvis out towards him, Dom grabbed it firmly.

With his hands around her body, Letty was forced to keep still and it drove her crazy. She wanted to move, twist and turn under the pressure of her sexual arousal, but he didn't let her and the fact that he continued to give her pleasure didn't make it any easier on her. He knew exactly how to drive her over the edge.

Dom enjoyed hearing her moan and how she tried to free herself from his grip, but couldn't. When she finally reached her climax, her body still shivering with excitement, Dom slowly pulled up her body, leaving a trail of kisses behind.

His head emerged above the covers, as he now lay on top of Letty, making sure not to crush her with his full body weight. She was still breathing heavily when he looked at her with that same smirk he had left her with.

Within a second, Dom claimed her lips and, slipping his tongue into her mouth, gave Letty a taste of her own juices. He wasn't surprised to feel her join in by pulling his body even closer. Eventually, Dom rolled over onto his back, dragging her with him, so she got atop of his body. When Letty pulled away from him, Dom kept his arms around her waist, holding her.

"So you liked ... breakfast?" Letty asked him, grinning broadly.

"Loved it," Dom smirked, licking his lips. "Are you not having any?"

"Of your special breakfast, you mean? No, thanks," she laughed, "but I'll have a shower."

Letty shook her head in amusement. Of course the man wanted something in return. That wasn't surprising at all. But she didn't feel like giving it to him now. He could wait a little bit longer to receive. After all, he had more or less tortured her by not letting her move in the way she wanted. He deserved a bit for that.

"Does that mean, I can't join you?" Dom wondered, looking like he'd seriously be disappointed if she told him no.

"Wait a sec," Letty said, acting like she had to think real hard before she could answer that question. "You'd have to be naked in order for you to do that, so I guess– Well, good for you, I know how to get rid of that problem immediately."

Letty sat up straight, leaving Dom's embrace to shift backwards until she had full access to his boxers. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she pulled them down slowly, always keeping her eyes on Dom. She could see in his face how much he'd like her to get down on him at this very second.

"There you go," she smirked, "You're good to go. Now, I just have to–"

Dom looked at Letty, as she pulled her top over her head, exposing her bare breasts. She got up from the bed to stand on the ground, pushing her undies down as she headed to the bathroom at a leisurely pace. Literally everything she did, she did in a very lascivious way.

God, he hated her right now.

How could any men ever not melt at the – now very naked – sight of her. She was a vision of delight with those perfect curves and the dark tone of her skin. Suddenly, the thought of showering with her didn't seem like the best idea to him anymore. If he wanted to torture himself, then yes, it did, but with her not wanting to give him what she had received, it'd be extremely hard on him to be in the shower with her, both of them naked.

"You coming?" Letty turned to face him before she entered the bathroom. "Or are you–"

"No– I mean yes, I'll be a sec," he said, fumbling with words.

Letty laughed. He was too cute. As if she didn't know what was going on in his head or rather somewhere a bit lower than that. Was he planning to do it himself if she didn't? Probably. He seemed very needy right now.

"Well, suit yourself. You know where to find me," Letty cackled, disappearing behind closed doors.

About two minutes passed before Dom appeared in the bathroom, stepping into the shower to join her. He hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. Both had their eyes closed, feeling a warmth between them that wasn't alone coming from the water running over them. It was rather the heat their bodies gave off in that tight hug.

"I love you, Letty," Dom whispered in her ear, kissing her cheek.

Letty turned around in his embrace and looked him right in the eyes. Dom could feel her hands stroking along the sides of his body while her fingernails left red marks on his bare skin, her breasts pressing hard against his chest. He didn't actually know what to do. It was like his mind had simply forgotten how to think straight, so he just let his own hands rest on her back.

"I know you want me, Toretto, so why don't you just take me," Letty purred, inviting him to have his way with her. "I'm all yours."

Dom couldn't help but grin. If she really meant it like it sounded, and it absolutely seemed that way, the kind of pleasure he'd receive would even be better than what he'd had in mind before. Much better. For both sides.

He pushed Letty gently against the wall, not letting her challenge him twice. He would take her by her word, take all of her until he was done.

"This will be one hell of a ride," Dom mumbled, kissing her.

He grabbed her ass and lifted her up in his arms. Letty flung hers around his neck, holding on to him for dear life, determined to make this ride one to remember indeed. And the second Dom thrust hard into her, she knew it would be – like so many times before.

Even when they were doing it the hard way, Dom treated her with a certain tenderness, always wanting to make sure that she enjoyed it just as much as he did. Letty loved that about him. He knew his business thoroughly; what turned her on, the things she didn't like and just how she liked it the most. Dom didn't need to figure that out anymore, he simply knew.

He kissed her eagerly until he needed to recover his breath. His breathing was heavy, Letty's too, and the looks they then shared just had them going crazy. When they reached the finish line, it seemed as if their moans could even be heard from outside the place.

Carrying Letty's weight as well as his own, Dom could hardly keep himself on his feet, his whole body shaking from that mind-blowing orgasm. He claimed her lips once more, not ready to let go of her just yet. Letty welcomed him with pleasure by allowing his tongue to gain access to her mouth where a brief tussle soon escalated into a war, as both their tongues fought desperately for dominance.

She felt her breathing get heavier again and that's when she knew, she needed to put an end to it, if they ever wanted to make it out of the shower, or anywhere, because she could continue this forever. In the shower, in bed, on the floor... She could have sex with him all day long, but she still had plans and those were important. Not quite as important as engaging in sexual activity with her boyfriend, but important enough that, for now, she actually needed to go out and do something else. Something he had no idea she was even thinking of.

Yet Dom at least seemed to have a similar thought on his mind, as he broke the kiss and let her down, so she came to stand on her own two feet again. He still had her locked in his arms when he pulled her closer with a toothy grin on his face.

"I'm sorry about your back," Letty apologized, referring to the scratch marks she was responsible for.

She didn't know if it had hurt him, but it wasn't like the blame was all on her anyway. He had wanted to drive her out of her mind and he'd known she wouldn't be able to hold herself back once he did, so those marks were just a little reminder of how well he had succeeded.

"With every ride, there's casualties," Dom stated, still grinning. "Collateral damage," he added. "And if there's not, well, then it wasn't a great ride."

"But it was amazing," Letty grinned.

"Exactly, so don't you worry about any scratches you might've left on me. You just marked your territory," Dom told her, giving Letty a little peck on the lips before he turned the water off with his hand.

They both got out of the shower and Dom quickly grabbed a towel for her to wrap around her body. Then took another one to dry himself off.

He loved doing his morning routine with her being in the bathroom, too, because he could watch her getting ready for the day. He just leaned against the bathroom cabinet and kept his eyes on Letty while she did her hair or got dressed. He followed her every move with his gaze.

Letty occasionally shot him a smile, noticing how he eyed her carefully. When he told her that a strand of her hair had fallen out of place while she was trying to tame it in a bun, she was instantly reminded of the way Dom liked to examine what was under hood of someone's car, as his eyes never failed to overlook a detail. He was a pretty keen observer.

"Thank you," Letty smiled, looking at his reflection in the bathroom mirror before turning around to face him.

"What for?" Dom asked, pushing himself away from the cabinet.

"I don't know, for... being so caring, I guess. It wasn't always like that, so I'm still kinda amazed by how attentive you can be to me," Letty smiled, slightly embarrassed now that Dom had approached her and his big, brown eyes were staring right at her.

"You know how it is. There comes a time when everyone of us has to grow up eventually," Dom laughed.

"I wouldn't go that far," Letty smirked, "You're still such a kid sometimes, but at least you're making progress."

She let her gaze fall and did a quick inspection of his lower body.

"Yeah, I definitely see some progress there. At least _some_ part of you managed to grow a little."

Letty tried to keep a straight face as best as she could, but it wasn't the easiest thing to do with Dom looking at her like that. He seemed to be a bit stunned at first, but then grinned like he wanted to let her know he would retaliate against her soon for that comment she made.

The part she was referring to had grown more than only a little, but of course she was just trying to tease him. He wouldn't give her that kind of satisfaction, though. If she wanted to play games, the teasing kind, he would certainly find a way to show her how it was done. He could already think of something.

Letty put her arms around his neck, showering him with kisses. She finally had an idea about how she could go through with her proposal and she honestly couldn't wait to hear what he had to say to that. She knew what his answer was going to be, but would he actually be so happy that he cried? Or would he just be Dom and play it cool?

"Do you remember the nice spot we were at when we watched the sunset yesterday?" she asked him. "Can you meet me there in 'bout half an hour?"

"Sure thing," Dom nodded, as he wondered what she had planned.

It had to be something special, because given the look on her face it obviously meant a lot to her that he met her there. She enjoyed the element of surprise, so maybe, Dom thought, she wanted to surprise him with a breakfast at the foot of the cliff, right on the beach. She knew he'd like that. But what else did the spot have to offer that could be of any importance to her? He would just have to wait and see.

"Good," Letty smiled, cupping his cheeks with her hands. "I promise you, you're not gonna regret it."

"I know, I won't," Dom noted and kissed her one last time before he went to get fresh boxers from the drawer. Letty watched him, as he left her to stare at his naked butt while he walked away.

"Oh, and, by the way, I love you, too," Letty called out after him, walking out of the room while she was accompanied by Dom's laughter.

* * *

When Dom arrived at the beach where Letty had told him to meet her, he couldn't spot her anywhere. For a second it made him wonder, if he was in the wrong place after all, but then he heard her voice.

"I'm up here," she shouted, and when Dom looked up the small cliff, which was still about 32 feet high, his heart skipped a beat.

Letty sat on the edge of it with her hair blowing in the wind. It was a sight that would've made a beautiful picture if caught on camera, but the huge rock she sat on looked like it could break loose from the rest of the slope and fall down any minute.

"What is she–" he mumbled, watching her anxiously as she rose to her feet to stand up.

"Letty, get the fuck down there," Dom yelled at her in a harsh voice.

Last night, when they had watched the sunset here, they had seen rocks falling down not too far from where they had been sitting. The same rocks Letty was now so recklessly putting her trust in to be able to hold her weight. He couldn't believe she would risk her life like that.

"No, you need to get up here," she yelled back, not even thinking about following his orders.

Dom started to run as fast as his legs could carry him. This wasn't a game to him anymore. If he'd known before that her plan was to put her life in danger, he would've never let her go. And the fact that she didn't listen to him made him furious. Sometimes she really was a handful.

"Letty, I'm not gonna tell you again. Get the hell away from that cliff," Dom gasped out as soon as he had reached the top, standing only a few inches away from her.

He reached out his hand, but Letty didn't take it. She just turned around and gazed at the sea, trying to think of something to say. She had known _exactly_ what to say to him, but now that the man she wanted to propose to was actually here she couldn't remember the words anymore.

"Letty, I swear to God, if you don't take my hand now, I'm gonna push you down that cliff myself," Dom said, being more concerned than angry, though. "I'm serious. It's too dangerous. Please, just–"

"This is it, Dom. This is exactly it," Letty interrupted him, facing him again. Dom, obviously confused by the choice of her words, shot her a questioning look.

"We're so used to be living our lives in danger that we sometimes forget how lucky we are to still be alive and to have each other," Letty explained.

"Remember when I wrecked my car on the highway all those years ago when we tried to raid that truck. The day you found out Brian was a cop?"

"How could I ever forget," Dom answered, remembering everything about that moment; the anger he had felt towards Brian for lying to him the entire time, and especially the fear that Letty would not make it out alive of that car, as he saw it crash.

"I could've been dead, Dom. You know that," Letty sighed. "And _you_ could've get yourself killed so many times with the stupid things you did."

"We can talk about this, but please, Let, c'mere," Dom pleaded, leaning forward to grab her arm to pull her towards him. He didn't want to discuss these things with her while she stood on the brink of a cliff.

"No, I don't wanna– We don't need to talk about this now, I just wanted you to know that–"

Letty swallowed hard. She closed her eyes, trying to get her head to stop spinning. Now was the time for her to ask what she had thought of asking him ever since she'd woken up earlier. She needed to concentrate, needed to do this right. It would change her life forever.

Dom noticed the tension that had suddenly seemed to paralyze her body. He could tell that there was something else going on on her mind she wasn't telling him.

"What is it?" he asked concerned, wanting to hear her thoughts.

Sometimes, just sometimes, Letty really hated that she couldn't keep anything from him. There were times when he knew what she was thinking before she even became aware of it herself. They connected on a level that reminded her of when people talked about their soul mate. She had never believed in that kind of stuff, but her relationship with Dom lead her to believe in all kind of things she didn't think existed.

"Dom, I need you to ask something and this is kinda– It's important you're not gonna make fun of me or anything, because this is already– I'm already having enough trouble as it is with wanting to ask you that and not knowing how. I'm–"

She felt Dom's arms wrap around her waist, which only made it harder for Letty to focus. He hardly ever knew what his touch did to her. He must've had an idea, but he couldn't possibly know that his touch still caused her body to feel like it was set on fire. Everything was fireworks with him.

"Just say what you wanna say, Letty, and I promise I'm not gonna pull your leg." Dom smiled as these words left his mouth. He could see how nervous she was in the way she squeezed her hands, so he seized and held them firmly to offer her support.

"When I was watching you sleep earlier, I– I thought about my future and... whenever I do that, then all I see is you and– and I want it to stay that way forever," Letty mentioned quietly. "I know you can't promise me this, and that's okay, but you said, you wanna start all mornings with me, and I want that, too. I don't wanna be apart from you ever again."

A weak smile tugged at the corner of her lips. Letty knew that this was absolutely the right thing to do. She was so in love with him, she couldn't wait to marry Dom and be his wife.

"You're my ride and die, Dominic Toretto, you've always been, but how about you'll also be my husband? You'd like that? Because I do."

She hadn't planned that speech so whatever she could think of, she said. It didn't need to be cheesy; it just needed to make Dom realize that she was goddamn serious about this. In fact, she had never been so serious about anything concerning their relationship ever before.

"Oh God, I'm making a complete fool of myself," Letty groaned, as she looked up to him.

She couldn't make out what he was thinking, but it was obvious that she had taken him completely by surprise. His mouth fell open and his hands soon let go of hers. Was that a bad sign, though?

"Dom, I never thought I would _ever_ want this, you know, to get married, but with you– We've had our ups and downs, probably more downs than ups," Letty forced a chuckle, "but the way I feel right now, I have never felt about you."

She took his face in her hands, her hands shaking a little, not being able to hide how nervous she was. She smiled happily at him, her eyes sparkling.

"I love you," she whispered, "and I wanna be married to you. I wanna be your _wife_."

Letty caressed his cheeks, kissing him tenderly before she finally asked, "So will you marry me?"

Dom didn't quite know what was happening or how he'd even gotten here, as his mind was thinking all kinds of thoughts, but when Letty told him one more time, "Marry me, Toretto," he knew he wasn't dreaming.

He was flabbergasted, speechless, and he needed some time to process what he had just heard. For as long as he could remember Letty had taken no stock in anything he or anyone else for that matter ever had to say about marriage and getting married. At least that's the feeling she had given him, which is why he then stopped bringing it up. He had just insinuated the topic to see her reaction.

Once, she had said that she already kind of felt married to him, because they were together for so long and that she didn't need 'a stupid paper' to prove that she loved him; that if he wanted her to put on a dress and make cheesy promises to him in front of a priest, she'd strangle him with the veil before he even got a glimpse at it. Now that she had obviously changed her mind, it changed everything else as well.

"No. I mean, I can't," Dom uttered, slowly stepping away from her. It was only a little, but enough to make Letty frown.

"No? What do you mean you _can't_?" Letty couldn't believe her ears. Had he really said that? Had he seriously just turned down her marriage proposal? Why on earth would he do that? It had taken her so much courage to open up to him like that, how could he not appreciate that but disparage it so easily?

"Dom, are you serious right now?" Letty asked him, her voiced filled with disbelief. She tried to fathom the hidden meaning of his words which would explain his feelings for her, but there was none. There was only one way in which his words made sense and she didn't even want to think about what this could mean for the future of their relationship.

"I can... not believe this," she scolded, feeling like she had every right to be angry.

"I bare my soul to you and you're just gonna say no like 'I'm sorry, I don't love you that much, but thanks for asking and telling me all this'? Seriously? _That's_ how you wanna play it?"

She took a step backwards to be able to see him better. Staring right at him, her eyes pierced Dom as if she wanted to stab him to death with that angry look on her face.

"I should push _you_ down that cliff right now," she hissed, "and then throw rocks at you from up here."

She felt betrayed and it hurt her that Dom obviously didn't want the same things she did. How could she have been so oblivious to the fact that she might not know him as well as she thought she did? Was she so wrong to think he would want to get married, too? The way Dom had backed away from her shortly afterwards and his words made her feel like she was.

So, now what? Did he expect her to act like nothing ever happened? Would she just have to live with this deep feeling of disappointment? How could she?

Dom grinned, a fact that made Letty even madder. This wasn't fair. Why was he making fun of her when he had promised her not to? She seriously wanted to hurt him right now.

Letty could feel tears well in her eyes. She was so hurt and so, _so_ mad.

"You know what, Dom? Why don't you just–"

But before she could rant some more, Dom intervened.

"Let, calm down, okay?" he asked of her, holding up his hands in defense, laughing a little. "I'm not saying, I don't love you enough. I do, you know that, it's just that–"

He could see the anger in her eyes, but that didn't bother him. It was the hurt that made him suddenly feel bad about teasing her. He shouldn't have. She had come a long way from being the tough girl, who had always been afraid of showing too much emotion, to the woman who didn't care about what anyone else had to say about her exposing her true feelings.

"Ya know, I'm kinda glad you asked me first, 'cause now the chance of your answer being no is highly unlikely," Dom remarked.

That was the one thing he had really been worried about. Since she felt so strongly about marriage he had always wondered, if she would even say yes to him when he finally had the guts to ask her. He knew there was no doubt that she loved him, but there still was little chance that she'd compromise her principles.

Letty looked at him with confusion and the longer she did that the more her anger disappeared, as she slowly became aware of what Dom was planning to do. That idiot had just been messing with her head.

"You son of a bitch," she complained, "You fucking bastard." While she put emphasis on each word she couldn't help but grin. She should've known it was all an act. Revenge was a dish best served cold. She hadn't seen it coming. Now he had gotten to pay her back for that little insult earlier.

"You really think I'd say no to you?" Dom laughed, "Well, call me old-fashioned, but I'm the man here so I should be the one to ask."

Dom ran his hands over his head, massaging his scalp as if he had trouble organizing his thoughts and felt like a little head rub would help him sort out the mess and put those thoughts in order. Letty looked at him closely, feeling like her body had suddenly turned into stone. She couldn't move, needed some time to grasp the fact that he was about to propose to her.

"I had this whole speech all worked out, but right now-," Dom mumbled, taking a deep breath.

When he had pictured the moment in his head and made that impressive speech in front of the bathroom mirror, imagining it was her he talked to, it had been so easy. Dom knew it would be different the second his plan would become a reality, but now that it did, he just couldn't manage to think straight.

"When I look at you, it's all gone. All those words... Gone," Dom admitted, as he looked at Letty with a weak smile on his face, his sweaty palms speaking of great nervousness.

"I– If I come across as a little nervous, it's... Well, I am so I'm just gonna–" Dom hesitated, as he got down on one knee.

"Dom, what are you– You're seriously gonna do this? Oh, my God," Letty exclaimed, covering her mouth with both her hands.

She still found it hard to believe that this was really happening, but if she'd ever had a doubt about his intentions before, it was gone now. Dom was definitely not kidding this time and apparently had meant to ask her all along. She had just given him a reason to do it now.

"Don't you dare laugh, Ortiz," Dom smirked, as he looked up to her.

"I'm not," Letty chuckled, obviously laughing already. "I'm so sorry, but you, Dominic Toretto, down on one knee like– like all those snobs you always hated and made fun of, it's... I don't know. It's something else."

Dom shook his head in amusement. _Women_ , he thought. There he was trying to do something completely out of character, hoping to surprise her, and she just laughed at him.

"You're making it kinda hard for me to focus, Let," he said, still grinning.

Letty took a minute to think. She didn't want to ruin the moment, but this was just too weird. Thankfully, she knew how to make the situation a little less awkward without trampling on Dom's feelings.

She plunked herself down on the ground and, as she settled herself cross-legged in front of him, dissolved into giggles, seeing that her sudden movement had knocked Dom out of his stride. His mouth was open, yet there were no words coming out of it.

"This is not helping," Dom told her after he had tried to recall what he had wanted to say next.

"I know, but it's hilarious to see your reaction," Letty cackled.

For as long as she knew him, she had never seen him suffer from his nerves like that. He had been nervous before but not as much as he was now. It was adorable and she just couldn't wait to give him an answer to the question he hadn't asked yet.

"Besides, if anyone sees you doing that sappy knee thing it's gonna damage your reputation and you don't want people to know that deep down you're just a big softie, do you?" she noted, cocking an eyebrow. When Dom didn't say anything back, a big grin captured all of her face. "See? I'm just looking out for you, man."

Letty knew it was kind of mean to have him promise he wouldn't make fun of her when all she had done so far was making fun of him, but she could see in Dom's eyes that he enjoyed this. He didn't want this moment to be any different, didn't want her to shut up and listen, because he knew that just wasn't her style. But teasing him also helped her to deal with her own nervousness.

"You just reminded me of how _bad_ I wanna do this," Dom revealed, smirking. Taking Letty's hand, he continued, "There's just no one like you, and you know when I say that it's true, because I've met a lot of women in my life."

"And you've been with many of 'em, too," Letty interjected.

It wasn't a nasty comment, though, but rather a witty remark. Everyone knew he had his experience with women, had been with all kinds of girls, but Letty didn't care anymore, because she was the only woman he loved. She was just trying to tease him a bit more, and was glad to realize he hadn't taken it the wrong way.

"Can't argue with that, can I?" Dom laughed, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"So are you done commenting now," Dom asked, "because if you keep butting in like this, we'll still be here tomorrow."

When she responded with a nod, Dom mouthed a thank you. He could see in Letty's eyes how excited she was about all of this and that was everything he had hoped for. It made him feel like words didn't even matter anymore. Whatever he had to say to her now, she already knew the answer to his question.

"We've been together for so long that being apart from you feels like–" Dom paused for a second, thinking about the right way to put it, "like I'm sitting in a car with no engine. Wherever I wanna go, it takes me forever to get there, because I have to push that damn thing. And then, when I finally reach the finish line, after working my ass off to make it that far, no one presents me with a fucking trophy."

Dom studied Letty's face, trying to figure out what was going on in her head, but she just smiled at him. Everything he said made total sense to her, because she felt exactly the same way. She just didn't feel like interrupting him.

"But I wasn't born to be a loser, so I just try to be faster next time to catch up with everyone else, like, race my car downhill, no engine needed," Dom added. "I just think of ways to scrape along on what little I have, ya know."

Since he felt that his example didn't seem to make her understand what he meant after all, he gave it another shot, hoping she would get it then.

"What I'm trying to say is that I may be able to breathe without you, and live without you, but this isn't the life I wanna have, because I'd miss the one thing that gets me going."

Dom reached out to cup her cheek, as he still held Letty's hand in his.

"Letty, you're everything to me," he declared, "The driving force behind my actions, the one that cheers me up when I lose and encourages me to keep going, my trophy... Everything."

Dom caressed her skin with his thumb, old memories flashing before his eyes, reminding him of how lucky he was to have found her.

"If I ride, it's because of you. And if I fight, it's because I know I'm fighting for you and this life we have. And if I die–"

Noticing the look on Letty's face, as soon as he mentioned the possibility of death, Dom hesitated to keep on talking for a moment. The thought alone made her shudder. Her smile had disappeared and the sparkle in her eyes was gone. All there was, as it seemed to him, was shock and fear.

" _If_ I die, I'm gonna die happy knowing you loved me," Dom finally continued anyway. If he sounded cheesy, then so be it. He couldn't care less for all he cared was letting her know how much she meant to him.

"You're making me cry," Letty stated quietly, as his speech had brought tears to her eyes and the fact he had talked about leaving this world made it all the more difficult for her to hold them back. She couldn't.

"I don't want you to die," she whispered, swallowing hard.

"Then marry me," Dom replied, grinning at her. "Marry me or I'm gonna jump down that cliff behind you _right_ now."

"Ugh, this isn't funny, Dom," Letty retorted sharply, slapping him on the wrist, "I'm serious."

"So am I," Dom said sincerely.

He took a deep breath. There was one last thing he had to say to her and then all he had to do was wait for her to say something back; say one word and make him the happiest he had ever been. And the right way to propose to a woman like Letty was asking to be hers instead of asking her to be his, Dom figured.

"Leticia Ortiz, will you give me the joy of becoming your husband?"

As soon as those words had left his mouth, a huge smile grew on his lips. It was completely disarming and made Letty go weak at the knees. She'd known he was going to ask her this eventually, but hearing him do it now melted her heart.

"Of course I'm gonna marry you, you idiot," Letty answered, laughing through tears, as she cupped his face, pulling him closer. Unable to keep his balance when she did that, Dom almost collapsed on top of her.

He laughed, trying to break his fall by putting one hand on the ground. Then he leaned forward, closing the gap between them, to meet her lips. Dom felt his heart beating faster, as he sealed the deal with a deep kiss, knowing that this was just the beginning of a new adventure.

He was in a very happy place right now and there was absolutely no one that could make him feel like this wasn't the life everyone dreamed of having. He had found the perfect woman; the one that always understood him even when he didn't understand himself, respected and loved him. Letty completed him in ways he could've never imagined.

When they finally managed to let go of each other's lips, Dom got up from the ground and grabbed her hand to drag her with him. As soon as she stood on her feet again, he flung his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

Letty, though a bit taken by surprise at first, quickly locked him in her arms and rested her head against Dom's chest. She sighed contentedly, hearing the gentle deep voice as it told her, "There's a church waiting for us tomorrow night and it comes with a priest, so you better go and buy a dres- something appropriate to wear... unless you wanna be naked."

When Letty gently broke the embrace and looked at him confused, Dom leered. "Not that I'd mind," he added.

"Wait. What do you mean a priest?" Letty asked in astonishment. "That sounds like you planned– But your speech, I thought you improvised that. When did you–"

"Right after the day we were reunited. Thought you were the only one thinking about this?" Dom laughed.

"I didn't prepare that speech– Well, I did prepare one, but, I forgot that, so I had to wing it," Dom explained, "but the plan was always gonna be to ask you tonight... which is why I made some arrangements yesterday."

Letty soon came to understand that Dom had thought about this long before she did. The moment she had showed up in the DR, all the way from Mexico, had obviously made a huge impact on him so much so that he'd decided to ask her hand in marriage. Maybe it had made him realize how much he had actually missed her.

 _'You don't know what you have until it's gone_ ,' that's what people always said, and this could be the reason why Dom had made plans to propose to her immediately after she had come back to him. But whatever reason he'd had, Letty was beyond grateful it had lead to this.

"So, we're gonna get married tomorrow, huh?" she grinned.

"Ride or die," Dom smirked, putting his arms around her waist. When he locked eyes with her, he could tell right away what she was thinking.

This was it. They were going to take the plunge. Whatever the future held for them, they would deal with it as a married couple, husband and wife. And the most important thing was that it wasn't something they were going to do to please other people – God knew his little sister had always nagged Dom about it – but for themselves. They were going to get married out of love, not necessity, because people expected them to.

Dom was well aware of tradition, like to say grace before meals, and it was important for him to have a code to stick to, but this wasn't about any of that. He just wanted Letty to know that 'ride or die' wasn't just an empty phrase for him. He meant it. He was, and would always be, down with her no matter what, through it all, the good and the bad. He was willing to do anything for her even if it meant getting himself killed. He had said it to her so many times, now was the time to finally put his money where his mouth was and live up to these words.

Letty put her arms around Dom's neck and stared at him in silence for a few moments. They had come a long way from where they started no doubt about that. And tomorrow night they would get married. That was huge, even for them, who had been through so much. She couldn't wait to be his wife, to officially become a Toretto. Well, they still had to talk about that. If he wanted her to adopt his last name, he would have to bring forward some really great arguments. Dom knew she wouldn't give in that easily.

"How did you know I was gonna yes?" Letty wondered, knowing damn well, however, that there was no way she could've ever said no.

"I just knew," Dom laughed, "The same way I knew you were gonna find me here. All I needed was some bait."

"Oh, so you used the skanks to lure me into this? Smart move, papi," Letty admitted, laughing. "But I'm still not gonna wear a dress."

She shot him a serious look, though deep down inside her she felt like this was exactly what she had to do. He had never gotten to see her in a dress and he deserved to be swept off his feet on his wedding day. She just needed to find a dress she felt comfortable enough to wear. Thank God she pretty much always knew how to get what she wanted and had already made some acquaintances that could help her out. He wouldn't see it coming.

"I told you, if you wanna marry me without anything on, feel free to do so," Dom said, grinning broadly, as he put a strand of Letty's hair behind her ear.

He knew even before he had popped the question that she would not want to put on a dress and since no one could make her do anything she didn't want to, he would be happy as long as she showed up. That didn't change the fact, though, that deep in his heart Dom felt like seeing her in a wedding gown would be an image that would forever remain burned in his memory. He wanted this.

"What are _you_ gonna wear?" Letty suddenly burst with curiosity, raising an eyebrow. It jolted Dom out of his little daydream and brought him back into reality.

"Letty, I can't tell you. Where's the fun in that?" Dom smiled, bending forward to give her a peck.

He was still a bit caught up in his reverie of Letty in a dress and actually didn't know what he should wear to their wedding. He had considered his options, but hadn't decided on anything yet. He didn't feel like wearing a tux. Then again, he also didn't feel like his outfit could just be something casual he had hanging in his closet. It had to be something special. She deserved to see something incredibly pleasing to the eye, so he needed to look damn fine.

"I also didn't tell anyone about the proposal," Dom mentioned, "so no one will be at our wedding."

He had thought about telling his little sister, but then he had felt like this was something they had to do alone. It was supposed to be their moment. He loved his friends and family and it would've been nice to have Mia around, but he didn't want anyone to be with them, and he hoped Letty was fine with that.

"Sneaking off to get married," Letty smirked, "now _that's_ totally my style."

Thinking about Mia's face when she would find out that her and Dom got married behind her back, Letty kind of knew what to expect. Mia wouldn't like it, probably be furious with them, and maybe a bit sad, too, but it was all worth it. It should be just them. No one needed to know they were about to tie the knot. That didn't mean they didn't love their friends. They just sort of loved each other more.

"Ha-ha, that's what I thought," Dom laughed, kissing her once more.

"You know why I chose this place to propose to you?" she asked whereupon Dom shook his head.

"Because last night you said it reminded you of our first real date," Letty continued, "and so I thought it would be the perfect spot to ask you to marry me, because on that date we truly opened up to each other and we both know we wouldn't be here if we hadn't. That day we _really_ committed to this relationship... and there's simply no greater commitment than marriage. When you know that person will be around forever and you promised to stay and work it through, not just today but any day, _that's_ when you know it's real."

The memories of that day made Letty smile. She remembered how it had always been fun and games with him until that day when they decided to put the joking aside and just be honest with each other. They both had taken some time until they managed to speak their minds without the slightest hesitation. Letty had never seen Dom so vulnerable before whereas she had never been so open about her feelings.

"What we have is real, Dom. It's real... and it started that day."

"So, no more kidding around," Dom smiled, "We're getting married."

It was that date that had changed everything betweem them and it was going to be a wedding that would end their long journey of trying to figure out how genuine their love really was for good. There was no need to play games anymore and pretend they didn't want this, didn't want to be committed to each other by the bond of marriage. They both wanted their relationship to be viewed as what it was – as real as it could get.

"We're getting married," Letty repeated smiling, as she took Dom's face in her hands to pull him closer.

"I can't wait to marry you," he whispered.

"You may now kiss the bride," Letty's hushed voice sounded and she welcomed the warm lips that sought hers.


	5. Brother to Brother

**A/N:** **I'm back with an update! :)**

 **Please keep in mind that I'm not a native to English. I struggle with words and expressions sometimes yet I'm trying my best to make myself clear. And I may be new to this biz, but I know when someone is hating instead of trying to be constructive. I'm sorry for that guest who doesn't like the way I'm portraying these characters, but bashing my story won't make you feel better. I suggest that you just stop reading my stuff or go and write your own fic.** **As for the rest, thank you for still being with me. Although I know where I'm going, it doesn't hurt to have some guidance here and there.** ** **Your thoughts kinda help me to shape this story.** I truly appreciate that... I don't know how many times I rewrote this chapter and I'm still not happy with it, but I didn't wanna make you wait any longer, so I really hope you like this. Just one more chapter after this one ****and Dom and Letty will be reunited.**

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Dom parked the car in front of 1327 and took a minute to look around. He had mixed feelings about this place. Those that reminded him of all the great stuff that had happened in their house and its backyard, and then there were those memories of Shaw's bomb exploding, which had almost killed him and his sister. They were lucky they had gotten away. Brian and Jack, too. It still made him angry, but he was also a bit sad. Would they ever have a place like this again where everyone of their family could come back to, knowing it would always be their home?

He thought about Letty and what she must have felt when she came here looking for him after she had left him at the cemetery. 'You scared the shit outta me,' she had told him, and he could totally see why. Shaw's little package had bombed everything to pieces and if Dom hadn't been there himself, he would've never believed that _anyone_ could've made it out alive. The place looked a whole lot better now than it did only a few weeks ago, but it was still a mess compared to the beautiful home that once was there. All he had left now were the memories of that time. No one could take those away from him, though.

Dom opened the door and closed it with a bang to make himself heard. "Thought I'd find you here," he said, walking up to Brian, who was busy sandblasting a large wooden beam while Jack painted a piece of wood that would later be used as the front door welcoming friends and family into their house just like old times.

Ever since they had put Deckard Shaw behind bars, Brian had spent quite a lot of time at this place, turning it into a construction site. Among the ruins of the past, he was searching for hope. He wanted their home to be what it was again and there was no limit to his ambition. He was overflowing with positive energy, a boy full of gratitude for the things life had to offer – good _and_ bad – just like he had always been. Dom loved that about him.

"So you really wanna rebuild it, huh?" Dom asked, a toothy grin on his face.

"Yeah, of course, Dom. You know how much it means to everyone in the family."

Brian looked at Dom with a smile. He knew how much it had hurt Dom to see his family home be leveled to the ground by Shaw's bomb. It was the place Dom had grown up in, had watched his sister been born into, and whose backyard had been the location for many family barbecues. If he was so sad about its destruction already with the few memories he had compared to Dom, then how much harder did it have to be for his friend to be here, Brian thought. He felt truly sorry for him and just hoped that Dom would love the new home as much as the old one.

"Yeah, I know, and I appreciate what you're doing, really, Brian, but isn't that a little small for all of us? I mean, you, Mia and Jack, your baby girl, me, Let... Won't be long before you'll have to move your kids to the garage for us all to fit in there," Dom sighed, though he was smiling weakly.

He didn't want Brian to feel like he wasn't grateful for what his brother wanted to do, but he just couldn't see how they could all live in the same house together. It had already felt kind of too small the last couple of days when they were all living there before the bomb destroyed it. Their home was huge, but Brian's kids needed space and Dom wanted them to have that. He wanted them to grow up with a room they could have all to themselves. Of course they were a family and as a family you needed to learn how to share things, but he didn't know what could happen between him and Letty. They hadn't talked about kids yet – well, not really – but at least for him that was still on the table, so if they did decide to have children one day the house would definitely be too small.

"Ah, don't worry about me and Mia, man," Brian said, as he stopped what he did to be able to completely focus on his conversation with Dom. "I'm doing this for you. You and Letty. Consider it my wedding gift. It's gonna be the perfect home for you two and... a dog. Or are you more of a cat person, I don't know. What do you think?" Brian looked at him, flashing a smile.

Studying Dom's face, he wondered, if Dom and Letty had ever talked about having children. He didn't consider Dom to be the man, who would let his little sister be the only one responsible for passing on the Toretto gene. He had seen Dom with Jack, even recorded it once, and there was absolutely no doubt that his best friend was at least open to the possibility of adding to the family. He wasn't that sure about Letty, though. He had never thought of her as the mom-type, yet there was something about the way she acted around Jack that told him there was much more to this subject than Letty would let on.

"Maybe I should get you a chicken," Brian mentioned when Dom didn't say anything.

"A chicken?" Dom laughed, "So you think I'm a chicken person?"

Brian knew Dom too well not to realize that his brother's mind had been busy with trying to think of something clever to say; something that would hide the fact that Brian hadn't been the only one thinking of how perfect the new home would be to start a family. Why had they never really talked about this anyway? Brian felt like he should just be straight forward with Dom and ask him what he wanted to know. He was just curious. It was okay to be curious about that, right?

Grabbing a thermos bottle filled with hot coffee, Brian poured a bit of that into his cup offering Dom a sip, but he shook his head. "Well, actually I was thinking that if you don't have time to look after it anymore you can just eat it," he explained, but had to laugh before he could even finish his sentence. When Dom shook his head in amusement, Brian slapped him lightly against the shoulder. "Just kidding, Dom, I know you can take care of people... and probably even a chicken if you had to."

Brian had some more coffee before he looked at Dom again. Although he was burning with curiosity that made it rather hard for him to contain himself, Brian decided to approach this subject seriously. Maybe Dom had never really brought it up, because he already knew how Letty felt about it and that wasn't what he had expected. Maybe Letty didn't want to have kids or she couldn't have any. Brian could only imagine how hard that would be for Dom.

"Have you and Letty–" he started talking in a serious tone, "I mean, I know you guys have other stuff to talk about right now, but have you ever–"

"Talked about kids?" Dom cut in to which Brian nodded.

Somehow Dom had known that's what Brian had been wanting to ask him. He hadn't missed the little hint dropped by Brian before; the small pause until Brian had covered it up with the cat and dog thing. The chicken had been a lame excuse, but still been funny. Dom didn't blame him for asking now. He knew Brian could hardly keep anything to himself if it bothered him too much, especially if he was pumped up about something he had to speak out.

"That was a long time ago and we figured we're just not made for this... life, but–"

"Things change?" Brian intervened.

It had taken him some time, but by now he could read Dom's face perfectly. Dom was hardly able to hide something from him without Brian knowing. He always tried not to give too much away all the more if he was getting emotional, but his facial expressions were often the key to what laid behind. The more Dom was trying to hide something, the more Brian could see it in his face. It worked the other way round, too.

"Yeah," Dom uttered under his breath, as he remembered what had happened last night.

He had just mentioned that kids changed everything and suddenly Letty couldn't wait to get home and go to bed, so she wouldn't have to talk to him anymore. She had even started crying and Dom still couldn't make head nor tail of this. Letty's reaction completely baffled him. He didn't even know if it was even about that or if she had just thought of something else that had affected her emotionally. Why did she have to cry? Why didn't she talk to him?

"But you're right. We have other stuff to work out, so I guess until then I'll have the chicken," Dom laughed to cover up his mind's preoccupation. "Kids can wait."

He thought about a way to quickly change the subject, so Brian wouldn't have a chance to grill him about him and Letty, and a possible baby. Dom didn't mind talking about it if he knew what to tell Brian. But he didn't. Right now, he didn't know where he stood with Letty. And until he hadn't figured that out, he rather wanted to avoid this subject. He didn't want to talk to Brian, having to speculate about what could be going on with Letty. He needed to know for sure what she thought on this matter.

"So if you're doing this for me and Letty... The house... What are you and my sister gonna do?" Dom asked, taking the cup of coffee out of Brian's hand to drink.

Brian noticed immediately how the topic of their conversation changed from Dom and Letty to him and Mia, but he knew that he couldn't do anything about it unless Dom opened up of his own accord. If Dom didn't want to talk about it, then they wouldn't. It was as simple as that. They would have to have enough time to do that some other time. It didn't need to happen now. However, something was up, Brian could tell – and it wasn't something good.

"Mia and I, we will just– We've actually been looking at a few places nearby," he answered, as he shifted from one foot to the other, a bit unsure about how Dom would take the news. He didn't want him to think that they didn't love living with him and Letty under one roof. They had made this decision for other reasons.

"Planning your retirement?" Dom just stated in a questioning manner, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke.

"I'll soon have two kids to look after. It's the right thing to do, you know that, Dom," Brian explained himself.

"Hey, I'm not judging," Dom smiled, "You're a father, Brian. You gotta do what you gotta do. Just know I'm still gonna have your back even if you're not out there with me anymore."

Dom didn't even know if they would be back on some kind of mission anytime soon. Apart from the fact that they still had enough money to live by, he just wanted to focus on his relationship with his wife right now and not have to think about anything else but her. They obviously still had a lot of things to discuss. He had been naive to think everything would be back to normal once Letty had regained her memory. He didn't blame her for how she acted, though. He knew how hard it all been on her and he still wanted to help her adjust. Letty had probably never even dared to imagine that she would get her memories back one day. They had been to all kinds of places, looked at all kinds of photos and stuff to make her remember. It was a miracle that she did now.

"And you should know that I'm still gonna have an eye on you to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Brian replied, grinning.

"Ha-ha," Dom laughed out loud. "So nothing will change then, huh?"

Brian nodded amused. "Except for that different housing situation, everything will be _just_ the same."

Responding with a little smirk, Dom made his way to the pasting table, which was littered with paper of sketches Brian had made. "Nah, you're not gonna be living anywhere else," he told him, as he unfolded the papers to look at Brian's construction plans.

When he saw the sketches, he frowned. It was amazing how similar Brian's model looked in comparison to the old one, the house Dom and his sister grew up in. He must've spent days working on this, Dom thought. He couldn't deny Brian's talent. The accuracy with which he had sketched those plans was amazing. Dom had never even realized how well Brian could design. He had always considered Jesse to be the only one among them to have a creative bone.

"We're just gonna make some adjustments, so we all fit in," Dom then said. "No matter how many of us there'll be, we make sure, we all have enough room... Maybe we can add a second story to the garage so Jack can have his room up there when he's older, ya know, seeing that he's already into cars so much."

He grinned, as he thought of how much Jack already seemed to know which family he was born into. Soon that little man would be working with them in the garage, fixing an engine, Dom was sure of that. Jack was adorable; a cheerful face, always polite to people he didn't know so well – around family, he could clearly be a bit more feisty – and already pretty smart. Brian had to be so proud of him. Dom definitely was. He couldn't help but wonder, if he would ever get to see his own son fixing a car.

"Do you even know how much work that is?" Brian laughed – and like the Lykan had shattered the windows of the Etihad towers as it went through them, Brian's hearty laugh broke in pieces that image before Dom's eyes of a little Dominic Toretto and his father, changing the spark plugs of Dom's beloved Charger.

Dom breathed a sigh, too soft for Brian to hear, and looked at him. He needed to stop thinking about this.

"If we put the whole family on to it, we can get this done in a year," Dom was optimistic. "Maybe Tej can build us a robot to do some of the work," he laughed, shaking off the last remains of wistfulness that vision had left him with. "We're family, Brian. You two belong here."

"And I'm pretty sure we could all live in that house together," Brian said, "but Mia and I had a long talk about this and we just think that after all you've been through... you know, you and Letty... you two really deserve the privacy, so if you wanna stay in L.A., it's gotta be in this house."

When he had planned the new home, he had thought about making a few changes to its original design, so the place would be a bit bigger than before. They had had enough space, but only because Jack was still young and didn't need much. With another baby on the way now, Brian could easily see how difficult it would be in the future to make room for everyone. Kids needed a lot of space, especially when they got older. Getting a place of their own was the right thing to do, for him and Mia as much as it was for the kids, plus he really wanted Dom and Letty to be able to live in a house without that many people around.

"I mean, we can definitely do what you said," Brian continued, "add more rooms and make the whole place bigger, but why don't Mia and I just move in next door and we'll have awesome barbecues with the whole family in the shared backyard whenever we feel like it," he smiled at Dom.

Turning his head to look at the house to the right of their old home where Brian had pointed to, Dom frowned, out of confusion this time. He tried to recall if there was anything he could have missed, a word that had could have possibly slipped his mind, or if Brian had really meant it the way it had sounded. "You serious?" Dom wondered, turning back to face his pal, who instantly started to grin.

"When I said we were looking for places nearby I was actually meaning 1325," Brian confessed. "The owner left, apparently because after that bomb he thought living next to the Toretto's is too dangerous, so it's empty and– Well, say hello to your new neighbour," he chuckled, pointing at himself. "I hope you don't mind the cries of a newborn keeping you up all night. I can't promise you my daughter's gonna be a quiet one," he added, smirking.

Dom grinned, as he walked closer to Brian to embrace him in a bear hug. "I can't _wait_ for it," he cheered, hugging his best friend. "This is brilliant. Why didn't you tell me?"

Brian returned the hug and patted Dom on his back. "We wanted it to be a surprise for your birthday next week, but you just beat me to it," he answered. "Just promise me you'll act surprised when Mia tells you. I don't wanna get into trouble with her for ruining the moment."

"I will," Dom promised, laughing. "Can't risk you two getting a divorce before you even married," he joked, as the two men slapped hands, bumping their shoulders together.

Dom was absolutely happy about the news he had just received. Soon he would be living in his old house with his wife while his best friend and his sister would only live a stone's throw away from them. He and Letty would have the house all to themselves, but he would still be close enough to see his nephew and niece grow up, have a Corona with Brian on the front porch and work with him in the garage whenever some of their cars needed fixing. And Letty would probably be as happy about this as he was knowing that Mia wouldn't be too far away if his ego would ever become too much for her and she needed to blow off some steam at his sister's place. Everything seemed to fall into place. Finally. Maybe Shaw's bomb had done them good after all.

"I knew you'd like that," Brian stated, seeing the bright look on Dom's face, "It was your sister's idea, though."

"She's always been the one with the brains in the family," Dom remarked, a chuckle escaping his mouth.

"Yeah," Brian laughed, "but even without having your sister's brains, you still know what the best kind of housewarming party is, right?" Brian tried to keep a straight face, as he quietly told Dom, "The one where you have sex all over the house... in every room." Wiggling his eyebrows, he looked at him suggestively.

"If that's what you and my little sis' will do next door, O'Conner, I do _not_ wanna know," Dom pointed out amused. "But you're probably right. There's no better way to do a housewarming party than to release some of the body heat... so you better hurry with this," he grinned.

"I just thought since you've got Letty back, and now that _she's_ got her memories back, you'll go at it like bunnies," Brian mentioned. "Know what I mean?" he smirked and the look on his face was pretty clear about what he meant.

"Mhm-hm," Dom nodded, thinking.

Brian sensed that something wasn't right, just like he had known that there was something about Dom, Letty and a potential baby that Dom didn't want to let him know about. He had let it rest then, but he wasn't willing to do that now. It was not like he had expected him to start bragging about his sex life, but Dom was acting way too weird for a topic he usually felt so passionate about. Brian couldn't ignore that any longer.

"Are you and Letty okay, Dom?" he asked with a concerned look on his face. He would've understood if Dom and Letty still had trouble adjusting to their new – old – life, but they had to be happy, hadn't they?

"I really... don't know," Dom sighed, rubbing his head.

Admitting that was harder than he had thought. It hurt to realize they weren't really okay, and yet Dom knew this feeling would go away soon. He just had to work a little harder on his relationship; probably harder than ever before. It felt like all the effort he had made before Letty had regained her memories was nothing compared to what he would have to do now to make this relationship work. But no one could ever make him stop fighting, because she was worth everything – every emotion he'd rather not feel, every argument they might get into, and every tear he might shed.

"All I know is, something's wrong," he said after the short break. "She cried last night... I can't even remember the last time I saw her crying so much... But she didn't tell me why and I couldn't get her to talk, so I guess I'll have to sit this one out. It's just really frustrating," he complained.

"Maybe she still needs some time to get her head around everything that's been going on," Brian thought. He could see the frustration clearly visible in Dom's face, and he knew too well why he was so frustrated. Dom always hated not knowing what was going on. And if it concerned Letty, his feelings were a lot stronger, even more intense. "She'll be okay, Dom, don't worry about it. She'll talk when she's ready," he tried to console him.

"I'm just so happy I got her back," Dom continued, suddenly feeling like he had to get a few things off his chest to be able to breathe again. "Honestly Brian, I had started giving up. I thought I'd never get my girl back," he admitted. "And now that I have, I just wanna do everything right this time, but I'm– I'm scared. I'm actually scared to fuck it up, and I feel like because I'm _that_ scared, it will be the reason why I'm gonna mess things up in the first place... I don't wanna be overprotective or not let her figure stuff out by herself, but it's hard for me to–"

He stopped and looked at Brian, who just stood there with his eyes fixed on Dom, listening closely. For a second, Dom didn't know if he actually wanted Brian to say something, to stop him from pouring his heart out even more, but then the urge to do exactly that kept Dom going. "Letty told me about how she felt when I left her in the DR and I could barely look at her. I really, really hurt her, Brian, and quite frankly I'm not even surprised, because what I did was horrible... I shouldn't have– She deserves better. _I_ wanna do better," Dom stated. "I can't lose her again."

Brian loved that Dom was so open about his feelings, because it was rare. In fact, Brian couldn't even think of a moment when Dom had ever been showing emotions like that. He had seen him be angry for sure, or be worried, but that emotional side to Dom, that he actually admitted to fear something, was new to Brian. Besides, Dom opening up as much as he was doing it now could only mean that it bothered him so terribly that he simply couldn't keep it to himself anymore. And that was exactly why Brian intended to take him seriously. He wanted him to feel safe; wanted Dom to know that getting emotional around him was okay, because they were brothers and as much as Dom had been there for him concerning Mia, Brian wanted to be there for Dom.

"I know it's hard for you to take a backseat every once in a while and let her do her own thing, but you managed to do that when she didn't have any memories and you can do it again. And then you'll be there for her when she needs you. You've always done that. Just allow her to take the wheel sometimes, she knows how to drive, you know? You won't crash. Not again. You don't have to protect her from that. Look what happened the last time you tried to do that. You made the wrong decision... one wrong turn... and it almost cost Letty her life. But you're still a great guy, Dom. She knows that. And you know Letty loves you for being _exactly_ who you are. There's no way, you're gonna hurt her like that again and I think deep down you know that, too. I think you're just scared, because losing her made you realize how much you two had and how much you really love her," Brian smiled, trying to cheer him up.

"You know I told Mia I was scared to screw this up... us... her and me... because that's what I always do? Guess you feel the same way about your relationship with Letty, you just never realized it before, because she was always around. But now you know what it feels like to be apart from her, like, for real, not because you chose to be, and that's scaring you... The thought of doing something that could take her away from you... I get that. I felt the same way about Mia after I got her back, but you're not a bad person, Dom. You won't ever hurt Letty on purpose," Brian was sure of, "Just talk to her and let her know how you feel. If she knows, maybe she can help you. Maybe she can make you be less scared or at least–"

"You think maybe she'd want us to settle down, too? Like you and Mia?" Dom asked, stopping Brian in midsentence. "She told me last night, she doesn't think she can do that, but do you think she actually just wanted me to tell her we should? Maybe she was just trying to figure out how I'd feel about this," he thought aloud. Dom didn't know how to handle his insecurities, because he had never really had them, at least not that much. They had never been this palpable. And the question that kept burning inside of him was, if Letty felt the same way. Maybe she just couldn't voice her fears, because she wasn't used to feel this way about them just like he wasn't. The Letty he knew had never had an easy time speaking from the heart. She rather spoke from the mind. He could always see what she felt, she didn't need to say it aloud. This time, however, it seemed inevitable that she did. They both had to.

"If she wanted you two to settle down for good, you know she would just stay home and nail your sweet ass to a chair," Brian laughed. "No one makes her do anything she doesn't want to, she told me that, so if Letty really wanted a quiet life at home, she would just have it," he assumed. "Don't be so insecure, man! I know you guys have been through a lot and that shit must've changed her, but she's still your girl, Toretto. You know her better than anyone. You just need to let her know how you feel and stop acting like you've got it all already figured out. You can't fix the past, Dom, you're not a writer. You can't just edit and then rewrite it. And you can't shake it off like dust either. All you can do is learn from it, so just show her that you did and you'll be fine."

Dom, who had been eyeing the ground at his feet, collecting his thoughts, raised his head and looked at Brian again. And when he saw the big, encouraging smile on Brian's face, he couldn't help but grin. "And when exactly did you become a poet, O'Conner?" he asked, laughing a little. The weight on his chest felt less heavy now and he was glad he had unburdened himself to Brian in that way. He could only imagine how relieved he would feel, if he did the same to Letty.

"Maybe being a dad has just made me become a wise man. One of us has to be, right?" Brian laughed. "What I'm trying to say is that if you talk to her, you'll see what she wants and, trust me, it's _not_ staying home and cooking you dinner."

"Yeah, that's definitely not her thing," Dom agreed, "Letty's anything but a traditional house wife. Unlike my sister," he teased – and groaned with pain when Brian's fist hit his shoulder.

"Ow! What the hell was that for? It was just a joke. I know Mia isn't–"

"That wasn't about Mia," Brian clarified with a wide smirk on his face. "Just forgot to do that earlier and you reminded me I still had to."

"So, if you didn't slap me for Mia, what _was_ that about then?" Dom asked, rubbing his shoulder.

"You not telling me you married Letty," Brian answered, looking amused at Dom, whose face was contorted with pain. "What kind of brother are you not to invite me to your wedding, huh? Bonnie and Clyde united in marriage... God, I wish I could've seen that."

Dom laughed. It didn't surprise him that Brian wished he had been there. Everyone had probably wanted to be, especially his little sister and his best friend, but that day, it should've just been him and Letty – and so it had. The only person they had wanted to be at their wedding was a minister.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted it to be– I didn't feel like shouting it from the rooftops," Dom explained, "and it all happened so fast, like, one minute we still were just Dom and Letty and next thing I know we are Mr. and Mrs. Toretto. It was perfect with just us, you know? Just Letty and I... and that priest. It was beautiful."

Dom smiled at the memory of it. He felt his heart beating faster as he remembered the first time he saw Letty in that dress; the vows that had been a bit cheesy, but still so true to their characters and the way they had acted around each other. Everything had just felt like a dream come true.

"I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Brian, but I'm not sorry for not telling you... or anyone else," Dom admitted. "It was the best day of my life."

Dom had to grin, as he realized how much he had actually changed. The teenage version of him had most certainly died of laughter if anyone had dared to tell him that he would ever get married. As a young boy, he could simply never imagine that something let alone a wedding could ever mean more to him than winning one street race after another. His greatest love back then had been cars, now it was that girl he had been trying so hard to impress.

"Ah, never mind. At least you married her," Brian grinned. " _Finally_!" he then exclaimed, patting his friend on the back. "I'm so happy for you, man. For both of you," he smiled. "You two are made for each other."

Of course they were made for each other, Dom thought, he just had taken a lot of time to figure that out. They both had. Smiling at Brian, Dom got lost in thought for a second until the sudden move of his phone vibrating in his pocket startled him. When Dom took it from out of his pocket and saw Letty's name on the screen, he started smiling again; an even bigger smile than before. 'I love you, too,' the text said, and for a brief moment Dom just wanted to hit that call button to be able to hear her voice. 'I'll be home soon,' he began typing, but eventually forgot to press send when Brian talked to him again.

"So, did you scrub up nicely for the wedding, like, in Abu Dhabi?" Brian asked and the look in his eyes spoke volumes. He was dying to know. He was so excited actually that he just couldn't wipe the smile off his face. It looked as though his reaction even made Dom blush a little. Brian didn't dare to tell him, but it was really cute to see him like that.

"I tell you how it all went down that day, if you keep the witty remarks to yourself," Dom grinned.

"You know I can't promise you that, but I'll try," Brian answered, smirking. "And don't spare me the details." Then he turned to his son. "Hey, Jack, c'mere for a minute. Uncle Dom's gonna tell us a story," Brian shouted, immediately getting the little boy's attention. Jack loved stories, especially those that were about his amazing family. When Brian looked back at Dom, he was welcomed with a grin.

"Maybe I should leave some things out after all," Dom stated amused, now knowing that Jack would listen to his story, too. "Keep it G... All ages admitted."

Brian laughed while he opened a box with sandwiches, handing one to his kid. "Sit down, buddy, and eat. Uncle Dom's gonna talk about the day he married Letty."

Dom put his hand on the boy's head, stroking it lightly. When Jack looked up to him, he smiled. "How you're doing, kid? You're good?" Jack nodded and took a bite from his sandwich. "Tell the story," he demanded, his mouth barely able to hold the food, as he opened it. It made both men laugh out loud.

"You know, sometimes I really feel like your son's a little too sassy for a boy his age," Dom mentioned to Brian, who grinned broadly.

Brian often had the same feeling. His son didn't really talk much yet, but when he did, he knew exactly what to say to make everyone laugh. Jack was a pretty great observer during conversations and so his comments usually cut right to the chase. He was a smart kid.

"Don't look at me. That's the Toretto gene," Brian replied laughing, as he held up his hands in defense. "We both can be very impatient, though. That one he's got from me. But speaking of sassy... You should really tell us about Letty."

Dom chuckled. If anyone had mastered the art of sassiness, it was definitely his wife. She always went shooting her mouth off any chance she got. But at least she did that with a loaded brain. On their wedding day, however, she had been sweet like never before.


	6. Wedding Day

**A/N: Never thought this story would get so many follows. Thank you so much! You guys are amazing x**

 **This is a flashback of the wedding.** **At first, I wanted to go with the vows as we heard them in Furious 7, but then decided to add to it. I hope you like the adjustments I made.** ** **So many feels.** I also added a little background info on Dom's family. Just felt the need to give a bit more depth to his character. Letty's will follow, too. Next chapter, back to the present ****– Dom and Letty's reunion.**

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Letty had spent the entire day finding something to wear for the wedding. She had tried shopping at a few stores in the city, but they'd had nothing she fancied, and then Andrés, the man who had helped Dom to find a place to stay and eventually offered him that cabin near the beach, gave the answer to all her prayers.

He had made a call and next thing she knew, Letty was being driven to a house somewhere outside town where Andrés introduced her to a lady, who promised to have the perfect wedding piece done until tomorrow. All she had wanted in return was for Letty to fix the family's car, because they needed it back up and running quickly.

It didn't take Letty long to figure out what was wrong with it – that had been an easy task. She was quite nervous, however, because even though she had seen what that woman could do with a little piece of fabric, she didn't know if the dress would look as amazing as she wanted it to. If it didn't, she wouldn't have time to get another one, and that kind of freaked her out.

She sighed, as she closed her eyes, tilting her head back to let the water run over her body, washing off the last remains of engine grease on her face. _Relax_ , she told herself, leaning against the cold tiles with her back. She really wanted tomorrow to be special, but the most important thing about her wedding wasn't that dress, it was the man she was going to marry.

"Mind if I sit here and watch?" The sudden sound of her lover's voice almost made Letty lose her footing.

"Jesus, Dom! You want me walking down the aisle on crutches?" she exhaled, opening her eyes to see him sitting on the small chair next to the bathroom cabinet.

Dom smirked and lowered his head, shaking it lightly in amusement. When he saw the oil stains on her clothes, which lay on the floor, he frowned. "Why is your clothes full off– Have you been around a car?" he wondered.

"Just a little something I had to do today," Letty smiled, as she turned the water off and slowly stepped out of the shower. "Kept myself busy while you were out with the boys... whatever you guys were doing."

Dom jumped to his feet and moved towards her, grabbing a towel on the way over. When he came to stand before her, he wrapped it gently around her body. It made Letty smile. He could be really sweet and she was glad she got to see that every once in a while.

"Thank you," she whispered, as she put her arms around his neck. "What _were_ you guys doing exactly?" Letty asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

Who knew, maybe they had been out tuxedo shopping. But then again, Dom had made it pretty clear that he didn't want anyone of their friends involved in their wedding, so they probably had just done something else, like, sharing a few drinks, racing, talking about life, cars and women.

"You really wanna know?" Dom retorted and grabbed her around the thigh, pulling her a little bit more towards him. She was one of the most curious people he knew, but he loved that about her. It gave him the opportunity to tease her whenever there was something going on she didn't know about.

"Nah," Letty shook her head, "I'd rather wanna know what you're wearing tomorrow." She took his face in her hands to pull him in for a kiss, happy to feel him responding. When she was about to take his shirt off in-between kisses, Dom pulled back and laughed.

"Nice try, Ortiz, but I'm still not gonna tell you," he stated, letting her go. Dom turned around to enter the room next door where he threw a bag on the bed and started packing a few things, grinning as he caught a glimpse of her.

Letty stood there, puzzled, and needed a second to recover from that rebuff before she put on some clothes, a slip and one of Dom's wife beaters that looked like an oversized tank top on her, and followed him into their bed room.

"Where you're going? We're not even married yet and you're leaving me already?" she joked, standing with her arms akimbo, a few steps away from him. She tried her best to put on a straight face, but it was hard when Dom looked at her with that goofy grin.

"You won't get rid of me that easily, Let. I'm just sleeping at–"

"C'mon, Dom, you really wanna spend the night alone?" she quickly cut him off. "Without me?" She let her arms fall down her sides and approached him, a smirk on her lips. "Really, Dom?"

"Of course not, but you know what they say... Seeing the bride before the wedding means bad luck," he explained, dropping everything to welcome her with his arms – an invitation she was happy to accept, as she felt his strong grip locking her in his embrace again.

"Well, thank God we don't believe in these things, right?" Letty chuckled, cupping his face. "You're staying right here," she told him, pecking his lips. "We can pretend, we're just friends hanging out... enjoying ourselves." They both immediately burst out laughing.

"You mean like we did all those years ago?" Dom laughed. "When everyone was telling us to make it official and we still pretended we were just friends having a little fun with each other?" He remembered it well. It had taken them ages to admit to themselves that they had fallen for one another. And it had taken them even longer to confess everything to each other and become a couple.

"You ever thought we would end up like this?" Letty grinned. "You were such a dick back then and now you're my fiancé. You have to admit that's kinda funny... How we've gotten here. Didn't see that one coming." She could see in his eyes that he felt the same way. He knew exactly what she meant. It was all there in his face. He didn't need to say it aloud.

"But how do you feel about–" Dom said something after he had shared another kiss with her. "You know this will be your last night as Letty Ortiz, right?" Knowing that this would most definitely turn into a heated argument he would enjoy nonetheless, Dom smirked.

"Because?" Letty knit her eyebrows together, not understanding.

"Because we're getting married tomorrow and that means you'll be leaving the church as a Toretto," he made himself clear without further ado.

"I don't think so." Letty looked at him with a mix of confusion and seriousness. She hadn't really thought about it, but what on earth made him think she would just adopt his name without discussing it first? Of course she felt the need to protest against it now.

Dom laughed, stroking along the sides of her body with his hands. "Oh, you should, because I won't stop calling you Mrs. Toretto," he teased, pinching her a little so her muscles twitched and she cringed.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, her lips pressed so tight together that only a small sound made it through.

"All I'm saying is, Letty, I always imagined you to become a Toretto, so you better get used to it," Dom continued to take a firm stand over what he wanted.

Had she really expected any different from him, though? Family was everything to him, so of course he wanted them to share his last name. If she didn't agree to it, he would still be a very happy man, no doubt about that, it was just that her being officially a Toretto would put the cherry on the cake. She had to understand that, hadn't she?

"Liar! You never thought of marrying me in the first place," Letty argued plainly, but then had to grin at the realization that she really made a point there and he would have to admit that no matter how hard he tried to ignore the fact.

"Well, but you know what I mean." Dom felt caught, as her argument was kind of justified, but tried to cover it up by looking at her in a self-opinionated way.

"I think I know and you can kiss that thought goodbye right here, right now," Letty responded. "I'm not that old-fashioned, you should know that. And tell me, Dom, why does it always have to be the girl who adopts the man's name, like, why can't you become an Ortiz, huh?" she came back at him.

"Are you kidding me, Let? You know I can't do that," Dom laughed, obviously enjoying himself. It didn't make Letty angry, she liked this as much as he did, but his cocksure behavior was slightly annoying.

"Oh, but I have to? Seriously?" She stepped back from him a little to support her adverse emotional reaction and looked at him with both her eyebrows raised. He clearly wasn't the best in alleging reasons for his argument.

There was no doubt that in her heart she felt like one of them, like she was an official member of their family and to her that meant more than a piece of paper ever could, and she did understand why it was so important for Dom that she adopted his name, at least added it to her maiden one, but he still could have approached the subject with a little more respect.

"Letty, I don't wanna argue with you about that, okay? I'm too happy to fight," Dom smiled. "If you wanna stay an Ortiz, then I'm fine with it. I care more about you than a stupid name. I just really–" He paused, grabbing her hands. "I don't know... I just love the thought of sharing my last name with you is all," he declared in a very sweet tone.

Letty didn't know for sure, if Dom had used that voice on purpose, knowing she could hardly deny him anything when he did that, or if he was sincere. Seeing the look on his face, she assumed it was the latter. Maybe she really needed to allow herself some time to think about this and not reject it out of hand.

"Alright, listen to me," Letty got his attention, suddenly having an idea how to solve this little issue they had. "First thing tomorrow... before the wedding... I race you for it," she made a proposal Dom couldn't possibly say no to.

She knew the wedding wasn't until late afternoon, so even if she had to get ready, there was still enough time to find out which surname would be written down on the marriage license later. A race was the perfect way to sort this out, once and for all. They both were great drivers, so they both had a fair shot at winning and no one could complain afterwards.

"You mean–"

"I mean, we race," she answered, "and if you win, then I will be Leticia Toretto from the moment we put our names on that piece of paper, but if you lose–"

"Which will not happen," Dom interrupted her, smirking.

"But if you lose, Dominic Toretto," Letty continued, not letting Dom's annoying smirk make her lose that train of thought, "I get to decide who I wanna be and you can't argue with me about that. Never again, you hear me? I win that race and it's done. I'll be whatever I choose to be and if I'll keep my name, you... as my dear husband... will respect that. Got it?"

Dom loved the idea and there was no way he was going to lose that race. After all, he always won when it mattered. Besides, he really was the better driver even though Letty thought differently. Well, maybe sometimes she had been ahead of him, but tomorrow she wouldn't be. He would win and Letty would become a Toretto – his wifey.

"Sounds fair to me," Dom replied, accepting her proposal, and soon after started to grin broadly. "Mrs. Toretto," he added teasingly.

"God, you still _are_ a fucking dick!" Letty moaned in annoyance, hitting him hard against his shoulder. But as soon as she had turned her back to him and started walking over to the bed, her face was lit up by a happy smile. Even when he annoyed the shit out of her, he still was the most amazing guy. She just loved being with him so much.

Letty lay down on the bed, with her legs stretched out, resting her back against the wooden headboard. She eyed Dom carefully, as he came to sit next to her. He looked at her for a moment, and then laughed softly. She didn't wanna hear it, but she was really cute when she felt a bit nettled from the constant teasing.

"What," Letty questioned with a chuckle.

"Nothin', it's just your attitude... You kinda remind me of my mom," he told her with a quiet voice, memories flashing before his eyes of the time when his mother was still alive. "My dad once told me about how she didn't wanna adopt his name at first, but, you know, us Toretto men always get what we want. It's just a matter of time."

Letty had to smile at this revelation, but she also felt a lump in her throat, not knowing exactly what to say for a second. She had never really heard him mentioning his mother. Not like that. He usually just talked about his dad, which sometimes made her feel like his mother's death was a lot harder on Dom than he let everyone believe. People mostly assumed that his dad's accident was the only real tragedy in his life, but it wasn't.

"Do you miss her? Your mom?" Letty asked in a whisper, scooting over to Dom. She wanted to be closer to him, wanted to comfort him even if he thought he didn't need to be. She felt Dom's arm wrapping around her shoulder, and she leaned against him, breathing a sigh. There were times when she wished he hadn't had to go through so much pain in the past. She was glad all of this hadn't made him become a broken man.

"Only sometimes," Dom finally answered her question after he had been silent for a while. "I've hardly gotten to know her, but I never forget that voice. And her smile was– It always made me feel loved, even when I knew for sure I had pissed her off," he chuckled. "When I cried, she used to make up silly stories to make me laugh. One time that involved my dad trying to cook something and blowing up our kitchen, though now I think that did really happen and that's why he spent all this time in the garage."

Dom stifled a laugh and tried to make eye contact with Letty by turning his head in her direction. It certainly wasn't easy remembering his parents, but if there was anyone he felt safe enough to share this memory – and the pain – with, it was Letty. "Don't you think it's weird that you might not remember a lot about a person except for these little things that seem so... dull?"

Letty smiled, putting one hand on his cheek to caress him before she let it fall down onto his chest. Dom put his hand on top of hers. "Those are great memories, Dom. I'm sure she was a great woman." Letty was happy he had opened up about his mother like that. It was only a little compared to what he had told her about his dad, but it was a start. Maybe he would do it more often now that he had taken that first step. Letty definitely felt like there was a lot more to learn about Mom Toretto; many great things.

"It's a shame she passed away so soon. I'm sure she would've loved you... just like my dad did," Dom smiled at her, wondering what their wedding day had been like were his parents still alive – and attending. His mother probably would have been all over him, making sure he looked his best on this special day and his dad would have made stupid comments on how he had paid Letty to marry him.

"That's because I'm so lovable," Letty laughed, making Dom laugh, too. "You just gotta love me."

She quickly shifted onto his lap and faced him with her knees resting on the mattress next to his legs. Letty placed her hands on Dom's torso, slowly moving them under his shirt from where they travelled further up his body to his chest. She saw him looking at her hands, noticing their movement with a raised brow, and grinned at his reaction.

"Because you're so charming?" Dom remarked, looking up to her, with his hands now on her back.

"And polite," Letty responded. "And smart. My intelligence can be quite intimidating in fact... as you already know..." She tried her best stay calm and not burst out laughing. "I also happen to be very good with cars... Fixing them, driving them... You gotta love that about a woman, don't ya?"

Dom nodded, grinning. He tugged at her shirt – she looked damn hot in his tank tops – and pulled it over her head, a move Letty was happy to assist him with. He tossed it away and took a moment to admire the delightful view of Letty's upper body. "You're incredibly sexy, too," he stated, licking his lips, obviously liking what he saw.

"What you gotta love most about me, though, is my big mouth... and what I can do with it when I'm not talking," she purred.

"Care to show me?" Dom asked, his mind spinning with extant at the promise of emotional and physical fulfillment that lay ahead.

"I'm gonna make you _feel_ it," Letty countered with a smirk on her lips, sliding down his body and taking his shorts along with her.

* * *

When Dom awoke, Letty was gone, but he saw that she had left him a note with details on where to meet. He grinned, as he lay the piece of paper on the nightstand, and that grin slowly turned into a big smile. Dom sighed contentedly, letting his head fall back on the pillow. Today was the day. He would marry the love of his life, and while he usually hated getting up this early, he couldn't wait to see her again. So, it didn't take him long to arrive at the location where Letty was already waiting for him.

He saw her leaning against a car, her hair falling down her back curling meekly on the ends. She wore a leather-look biker jacket, stylish moto details bedecking it with a pointed, notch collar, pockets and matching asymmetrical zippers. Zipper detail adorned the sleeves while an adjustable belt offered her a custom fit at the waist. With a white top underneath and a pair of blue, ass-hugging jeans, Dom thought she looked sexy as hell.

"You seriously wanna race me in a GSX? I thought this was supposed to be a tight match." Dom inspected the 1970 Buick, wondering what it was hiding under the hood. He knew Letty wouldn't show up with a car that couldn't compete in a race.

"Wait till you see what this baby can do," Letty smirked, opening the door of her ride to get ready. When Dom had gotten back into his car and appeared next to her, she told him, "There's a corner about three miles ahead. We take the turn and then it's just a quarter mile until a gas station. First one to arrive there wins the race. You good with that?"

Dom flashed a grin, looking at the road ahead and then back at her. "Letty, I don't care which route we take, you know I'll be the first one there anyway," he said self-assured, confident of victory.

Amused, Letty shook her head and laughed softly. "Whatever you say, Dom."

Putting both hands on the wheel and her foot on the gas pedal, she looked over to Dom, who gave her a nod, signalizing that he was ready when she was. The traffic light turned red and as soon as it told them to go, they both hit the gas, pedal to the metal. They went head to head, but just a few minutes into the race, Dom saw a driver coming in the opposite direction and had to drop back a few feet not to cause a crash.

Shortly after the vehicle had passed, Dom pressed full throttle again and gained on Letty's car in front. Letty, who had been focusing on the road, startled when her car jolted from a blow in the rear bumper. "Not gonna happen, Dom," she growled. _Not yet_ , she thought.

He swerved right as if to pull out. Letty crept right. In the rear view, Dom pulled back left, so Letty whipped back to the same direction to keep him from passing her. When they reached the curve, Letty flipped the switches and knew right away that it would cost her. The back end kicked out and her car began to slide sideways. She tried to regain control, but only managed to do that when it had already hit the curb.

This was all Dom needed to take the lead. Drifting as smooth as always with his car round the corner, he made the turn and went the last quarter mile at full speed, knowing she wouldn't be able to catch up to him in time to win. But Letty didn't swear like a trooper. Instead, she started smiling from ear to ear.

As she came closer, she saw him get out of his car with a toothy grin on his face, watching her as she reached the gas station and stopped the car next to him. By the looks of it, he thought her little accident had been just that – an accident. But for Letty, it had been part of the plan, and seeing him now, she knew it had worked perfectly. Dom had no idea that she'd played him.

Almost all night, he had been going on and on about the name thing. Then she had tried to fall asleep, but her excitement about the wedding had kept her awake for a few more hours, so eventually, she had started to think about their argument earlier. And she soon came to realize that Dom's happiness meant everything to her. If adopting his last name was one of the things that made him happy, then she was willing to do it for him as a kind of wedding gift. Besides, the thought of becoming Letty Toretto wasn't that horrible actually.

Dom walked slowly towards her. He was glad he had won that race. For a minute she had seriously had him thinking that he couldn't get passed her. She was just too good behind a wheel. But her excellent driving skills had impressed him from very early on, so that didn't came as a surprise to him. What surprised him was the way she had handled that curve.

"What happened back there?" he wondered, yet the look on his face clearly demonstrated that whatever had caused her to fall behind didn't matter to him. All he cared about was that he had won. Everything else was just a side note. Although Dom loved to rub it in. "Still upshifting early, huh?" he said, smirking.

"I don't know, man, I just lost traction. Guess I was so excited about beating you, I forgot to focus," she laughed, closing the door of her car. She knew her hair must be a mess, so she ran her fingers through it as if they were a comb. Then she smiled at him. "But whatever, Dom, you won, so–"

Dom moved closer, pushing Letty with her back gently against the car. He placed his hands on her hips and looked at her. "So, I get to call you Mrs. Toretto now." His words were more like a question than a statement.

"Not now, but later," she told him, locking him in her arms. "I said, you win and I'll be a Toretto, and you won, so you can call me that... _after_ we're married." When she saw Dom's grin disappear, she stroke his back with her hands and asked confused, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," Dom heaved a sigh. "I think I'd rather wanna have you adopt my name because you want it, not because you lost a race," he expressed his thoughts, looking at her fondly. He really wanted this, but he also wanted _her_ to want it. He didn't want her to feel obliged to do it, because she had given him her word. He wanted her to be happy with the choices she made.

"Hey, it's okay, Dom," Letty smiled up at him through a dark sweep of lashes, thinking of how sweet he was for bringing this up. "I told you I wanna race you for it and I meant it." She took his face in her hands and rose up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his. "And Letty Toretto doesn't sound too bad, right?" she breathed into his mouth.

* * *

Letty stared at the white dress she held at arm's length, and she felt like she had been doing so for hours. Never in her life had she believed that she would ever wear something like that and now she couldn't stop looking at it. It was beautiful. It was the perfect outfit for the perfect day.

She heard someone knocking at the door. When she asked who it was, a female voice answered, "Soy yo, Carmen. I came to do your hair."

Letty put the dress down gently, straightened it out on the bed and went to open the door. "Thanks for coming," she welcomed the woman with a smile. "I have no idea what to do with that, so I could really use the help," she chuckled lightly. She was extremely glad people around here treated her with nothing but kindness. She couldn't do all this without their support.

As soon as Letty was ready and stood in front of the mirror, she felt her heart racing. "I can't believe this is really me," she laughed, turning her head to Carmen, who smiled at her. "Te ves muy hermosa con ese vestido," Letty heard her say and in consequence of being called beautiful her cheeks blushed.

Letty touched herself, moved her fingers cautiously over the fabric as if making a quick movement could tear it. Then she touched her hair, almost with the same caution as she had touched her dress. "I love it, Carmen. Muchas gracias," she thanked her and turned around to put on her shoes. It took some getting used to, but by the time she reached the church, Letty had managed to walk in them just fine.

Nerves fluttering, she walked in – and then she saw him standing in front of the altar dressed in what seemed to be a wife beater. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me," Letty murmured, a small smirk stretching her mouth. Maybe she hadn't expected him to wear a tuxedo, but definitely not that. However, seeing him dressed all in white did make him look incredibly handsome, she had to admit.

"She'll be here soon," Dom told the minister while he kept massaging his hands. He was so nervous, he couldn't think of a time where he had ever been more anticipating a moment in his life than he did right now. When he heard a noise, Dom turned around, facing the entrance of the church – and there she was.

His jaw dropped at the sight of her beauty. Her hair framed her face in such a way as to make him draw a deep breath of appreciation. The circlet with white flowers added to Letty's beautiful appearance like a tiara on the head of a princess. The stunning, floor-length white gown that hugged her curves in the most perfect way, line for sexy line, and the white edges of her veil blown behind her like wings, made him feel like an angel was walking towards him. Her skin was glowing and her eyes were radiant. He had dreamed of her like this, but never pictured her to look so entrancing in reality.

Letty gave him a smile, as she took the hand Dom offered her. She felt her heart swell up with love for him. "Hey, you," she whispered, already feeling the need to kiss him, touch him, make love to him like never before. She could feel the warmth in the way he was looking at her on her cheeks, as they turned red with embarrassment. Was this really happening?

"You look– I mean, I– You–" He tried to find the right words to even begin to describe the image before his eyes. Heart beating wildly, Dom bit his lower lip as he struggled to regain control of his wavering voice. "Got some ID with you?" he then said in a husky voice, smiling foolishly. By now, he had completely forgotten about the fact that there was someone else just a few inches away from them. The only presence he felt was hers; all he could see was Letty.

"What do I need to have ID for?" Letty asked confused, not getting what he was hinting at.

"Oh, nothing... Just wanna check if that's really you in that dress," Dom explained, bursting out in a hearty laugh that echoed through the empty church, filling it with life.

"Very funny, Dom," Letty retorted, "Really funny," and grinned. She couldn't believe it either, but this was one hundred percent her. This didn't feel like some kind of masquerade. This was as real as it could get. "You look... _nice_... by the way," she complimented him, that grin still playing on her lips.

"Don't worry, it's new," Dom tried to defend his choice of attire. He had picked out a shirt to go with the white tank top he wore, but he had felt slightly uncomfortable in it and so he'd decided to take it off. He hoped Letty didn't mind that he basically wore the same clothes he was always dressed in, but it didn't look like she did.

Dom lifted her palm to his lips and kissed it. Finally the day had come. He couldn't hide his happiness, besides the fact he didn't want to. After all these years, they were really here. They would get married and make this day last forever. He had never loved her more than in this moment. He had never been happier with her than he was now. She could see it in his eyes, and he could see in hers that she felt the same way about him.

"Do you have the ring?" the minister wanted to know, and Letty couldn't help but giggle. "Oh my..." Feeling slightly embarrassed that they had thought of everything but that she looked down to the ground. When she raised her head just shortly afterwards to face Dom, he smiled weakly before he reached behind to unclasped the necklace.

Dangling it from his fingers, he turned his attention back to the minister. "Will this do?" he asked, and in his mind slapped himself for not having thought of that earlier. The cross necklace was perfect as a token of their love for it represented their unbreakable bond. It had a sentimental value that didn't compare to anything else of value for them. It had been with them since the start and, after their death, would always remind their loved ones of the deep love Dom and Letty had shared throughout life.

When the priest asked him to go first, Dom cleared his throat. Truth was, he hadn't really thought about preparing any vows, but somehow he knew exactly what to say to her. The hardest thing was overcoming his nervousness to be able to tell her what he wanted, so he took another deep breath before he spoke.

"Letty, you're the one I can always count on to pick me up when times are bad, to share my joy when times are good and to tell me I'm an idiot on the rare occasion that might be true," Dom laughed, making Letty smirk. "You know me better than anyone else in this world and somehow still you manage to love me," he said, stroking the back of her hands with his thumbs.

Dom felt so blessed that she had the ability to see right through him; to see the good in him, which he sometimes was so great at not letting anyone see. Without her persistence to get to know him and the belief that there was more to him than he let on, they wouldn't be here. He wouldn't be standing here in front of her on his way to becoming her husband.

"You know I always say that I live my life a quarter mile at a time, focusing only on the next stretch of road, the next milestone," Dom reminded her of the words he lived by, "but with you I see the whole road ahead of me." He smiled happily at Letty like a little boy on Christmas morning, taking in every small detail of her face. "And right now, right here, _that's_ where our future begins."

Dom paused for a second to look her deep in the eyes. Letty wasn't crying, but he could tell she was close. She probably just held back her tears to not ruin her bit of make-up. She looked ravishing, especially with that huge smile on her face. Glowing happiness radiated from this beautiful bride he had the honor of marrying.

"We have eternity in this moment," Dom finished saying his vows, and the smile that spread across his face grew even bigger while the love that flashed in his eyes, as he looked at her in silence, seemed to promise her something that couldn't even be put into words.

It made Letty weak at the knees. She needed this to be over soon, so she could finally kiss her husband and be with him in ways her body ached for when she looked at him – and he looked at her like that. He made her so happy. Did he even know how much? No one had ever sent her emotions in such a swirling mess. But it was a good mess. It was that kind of mess that made her feel like she could touch the stars. Granted, she was like those sappy girls she had always made fun of, especially right now she thought she was, but no one needed to know this. No one ever needed to know this. Except for Dom maybe.

When the minister coughed slightly, Letty realized that it was her turn to say something. She hadn't prepared anything, but when in her life had she ever had thought first and talked later? She knew what she wanted him to know and so she started telling him, "Dom, my greatest challenge ever in life was to allow myself to feel; to let the feelings I had for you just flow in and around me and see where they would take me. I was so afraid to be vulnerable, to get _hurt_ , that I didn't dare to dream. But your love made me believe that dreams _do_ come true... Although until today, I didn't even know I was dreaming of this," she said, releasing a giggle that Dom responded to with a laugh.

He was completely unconscious of the impression he was making in his mirth. There was a beautiful quality about his laugh that held Letty captive to the point of speechlessness, and so she took a moment to just stare at Dom, completely enamored by him. While she did, her mind walked down memory lane, remembering how it all started. They had come a long way indeed. Who would've thought that she, who was so sure of not needing _any_ man _ever_ in her life to make her happy, would be standing here feeling like a life without that man in front of her didn't make any sense?

She thought of their very first encounter, the ups and downs of their relationship up until now and she remembered what Dom had told her just a few moments ago. A huge smile captured Letty's face as she did and her eyes began to sparkle. He was right; they _did_ have eternity in this moment, because they would always – always – remember this day. They would _always_ be together.

"You will never be alone again," Letty continued, making him a promise she knew she would never break. "I vow, wherever you go, I go. You ride, I ride. You fight, I fight. And if you ever die on me, Dominic Toretto, I'm gonna die with you," she declared, her voice cracking a little, yet sounding a bit more serious than she had intended it to.

As the minister gave them God's blessing, Dom and Letty competed in a staring contest, which ended even before the priest was done. Dom didn't need to be invited to kiss Letty. He simply couldn't wait any longer. Eagerly, he pressed his lips onto hers, pulling her body towards him. Letty put one hand on his cheek when Dom picked her up, spinning her round like she were as light as a feather. One hand on his shoulder, the other one holding the back of his head, she laughed, blissfully happy to be in the arms of the man she loved more than anything. "I love you, Letty. I will always love you," Dom whispered against her lips before their kiss deepened and no words needed to be said anymore.


	7. Could We Start Again Please

**A/N: Managed to overcome my writer's block and post another update. It took me ages. So sorry.**

 **I feel like your guys' expectations are huuuge with this convo they're gonna have and it has made me become a bit nervous about posting stuff, but I love that you're so invested in this. Thank you! Fingers crossed my writing will live up to that.**

 **I decided to split this chapter, so their talk will now be 3 chapters long, probably even 4. I don't know yet. But the next one is almost completely finished, so I'll definitely update sooner :) Wanted to show both an emotional Dom and Letty and as long as you can see them (re)acting that way I succeeded in staying in character. If it's too far off... My bad!**

 _ **Flashback starts and ends in italics.**_

 **P.s.** **Your reviews make my day. Seriously. Thank you so much! Xxx  
**

* * *

"Hey, have you seen Letty?" Dom asked, as he entered the kitchen, making Mia jump.

"Geez, Dom," she shrieked, turning around to face him. "Next time let me know you're coming to avoid this mess," Mia pointed to the floor where the plates she'd had piled up on her arm before were now nothing more than shards of broken china. "She's upstairs. She wanted to help put up the crib for my little girl," she smiled at him.

She still had a long way to go, but Mia couldn't wait for Jack's baby sister to arrive. And her son couldn't wait either. Every day he asked when she would get here, his small face lightening up in the greatest way. It warmed her heart. Mia knew Jack's excitement about the new baby could quickly turn into jealousy as soon as it was born, so she enjoyed seeing him like that as much as she could.

"Isn't that a little early? I mean you're not due for what? Another eight months," Dom laughed.

"That's what I told her, but she just wanted to do it." Mia grinned. "I guess she just wanted to have something to do. Can't be easy remembering everything. She probably needed some distraction, because her mind's going crazy. You know how much she hates that... when she can't stop thinking," she assumed, half-guessing, half-knowing.

"Well, let me help you clean up the mess then," Dom said. "Sorry about that by the way," he apologized, walking towards his sister, but she put one hand on his chest to stop him from going any further.

"Nah, I'm fine. I can still bend down, ya know? I'm not that pregnant yet. No need to step in. You should go talk to her," Mia urged him. _These two definitely need to talk_ , she thought. _The sooner the better_.

"Why? Did something happen?" Dom's voice filled with worry.

"Just talk to her, Dom," Mia smiled at her brother. "One more minute down here with me and I will forget what our parents taught us and beat the eff outta you for not telling me that that's your wife up there," she added, hitting his shoulder.

"You guys _really_ need to stop _hitting_ me," Dom complained, laughing, as he rubbed his upper arm.

He didn't have to say anything else for Mia to know who the other person had been. Just yesterday, Brian had mentioned to her that Dom deserved some punishment for being 'such a sneaky bastard,' as Brian had put it, not inviting them to or even telling them about the wedding. Now her boyfriend had obviously given her brother what he thought he deserved.

"If you need me, I'll be upstairs," Dom mentioned, smiling at her, and kissed his sister's forehead before he left the scene.

The person he was going to see now had every right to hurt him for the things he had done to her, but somehow she seemed to have no interest in doing that at all. It was not like he had forgotten about their little argument, but Letty made him happy just by being there. He really didn't want any more fights or tears. He just wanted to talk. And kiss. He wanted to kiss her so bad.

"I'm still gonna kick your ass, Dom," Mia shouted after him, letting Dom know that she wouldn't forget what big secret he had kept from her. He was a sneaky bastard indeed, but she loved him anyway – and maybe even exactly because of that.

* * *

"Damn, you stupid thing, why won't you work," Letty hissed, hammering at the wooden crib a few times with one hand to blow off steam.

"Need help?" Dom's voice caused Letty to jump, and the hex key she held in her other hand fell down on the ground with a loud bang.

Dom smirked. That was the second time in just a few minutes that he had managed to startle someone by accident. "Sorry," he apologized. Closing the door behind him, he entered the room. "So, what's wrong?" he asked, approaching her. "Anything I can help you with?"

Letty looked at him, as she tried to smile. She was really happy to see him, but at the same time worried, because she didn't know what would happen next. Would they talk about Elena? She knew they had to. Would he mention last night? They probably had to talk about that too. Should she tell him about her conversation with Mia? Where had Dom been anyway?

"I did everything the way I was supposed to," Letty started to answer his question, as she turned back to the crib, "but you should be able to rock it and it just doesn't move properly." She hit the piece of furniture once more with her fist. "I'm like the worst aunt ever. Can't even put this stupid crib together." And again. "Fuck this!"

Watching her every move, seeing the expression on her face, Dom came to realize that it wasn't so much the crib Letty was so frustrated with. That baby bed seemed more like something she just projected her anger onto, because there had been no one else around, she could aim her frustration at. Until now.

"Letty... Did you actually read the manual?" Dom spoke softly, somewhat cautious not to make her madder than she already was, while he sat down next to her on the floor. He was concerned about her well-being, but he knew, her behavior didn't necessarily mean that something was seriously wrong with her, as Letty's mood could change quickly. She blew hot and cold just like stormy weather sometimes. She was feisty one minute, sweet the next.

"I don't do manuals, Dom," Letty scoffed, "I just go for it."

Dom had to grin at her comment and was glad that she didn't immediately bite his head off, given the mood she was in. "Mind if I check," he mumbled, taking a quick look at that little piece of paper that explained everything – badly, he had to admit. "Well, I think–" Even reading it, he wasn't exactly sure how it was done. Fixing cars was a lot easier.

"I think you just need to put this right here and that thing needs to go there, add a little more pressure here so it fits," Dom told her, adjusting the pieces of the crib accordingly, "and you're good to go. See?" Giving it a gentle push with his hand, the crib swayed back and forth. He gazed at Letty, smiling to himself.

Here they were, building a crib for their niece. It was hard for him not to think about doing this for one of their own someday. Sometime in the future they would get to have _their_ baby sleeping in one of those. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Letty wanted kids, just a weak one in his heart that made him feel uncertain for the time being about what she really thought.

Staring at the crib, Letty couldn't help but think of the past while also thinking about the future. If things had been different, this could've been their baby's bed. But life didn't always turn out the way one wanted. Still, the question remained. Would they ever be parents? Was she ready to be a mother now? Having lost her memories had definitely made her look at her life in another way.

When they had been doing their jobs, basically all she'd cared about had been the adrenaline rush that set her heart on fire. She had known it was dangerous and she hadn't minded, because she had been so used to it – and because she'd had Dom by her side. But while she'd been back with the family, trying to figure out who she was, she had taken one step at a time and actually lived a rather quite life until the madness with Deckard Shaw happened.

She still felt like settling down for good wasn't something she could get used to so easily, but talking to Mia, and seeing Dom with Jack in the video Brian had recorded, had sparked something in her. It made her feel like taking things slow every once in a while was actually not such a bad thing. It wasn't as boring as she had always imagined it to be.

And she had spent so much time trying to get her memories back that all she cared about right now was her relationship with Dom, her marriage. She wanted to make up for all the time they had lost because she hadn't been able to remember one thing about it.

They needed to do this; needed to take things slow for a change, and whatever happened during this time, there would be no risk that wasn't worth taking or anything that wasn't worth fighting for. She had Dom to stick by her; that was the only thing Letty needed to be sure of – that he was here now and here to stay.

The brunette noticed Dom staring at her. It made her slightly uncomfortable and so she got up from the floor and walked over to Mia's bed to sit down. She turned her head to Dom, watching him as he watched her. "Thank you for leaving a note," she said quietly, but loud enough so that her words could reach him. "It meant a lot."

Dom lowered his head, briefly thinking back to the time he had left her without a word, leaving behind only the necklace and a pile of money. "I'm sorry for not being there," he then offered an apology for today and, standing up, walked over to Letty. "I didn't mean to scare you," he said, sitting down next to her, "I was just thinking that–"

"No it's okay. It– I didn't mind," Letty assured him. "It was– Thank you... for giving me some space. And I'm really sorry about last–"

"Don't worry about it," Dom quickly intervened when she mentioned last night, and smiled. "I still got to fall asleep and wake up next to you, that's really all I care about."

Letty put one hand on his cheek, stroking it with her thumb, as a weak smile got hold of her lips. "You're so sweet… and I was so mean..."

"It's fine. Really," Dom responded, nestling his cheek against her hand. "I just can't stand to see you cry, and I hate not knowing the reason is all."

"Dom, I'm– I just have a lot to take in right now. You don't know–" Letty sighed. She didn't want him to feel like she was pushing him away, shutting him out. That was the last thing she wanted to do. "You know, all of this… it's still hard even though I remember."

Dom nodded. He knew that. He knew how hard it must be for her to finally be able to remember everything that made her who she was; everything that had happened between them. And it was okay, if she needed to be alone every now and then. He just didn't want her to feel like she had to figure it all out by herself.

"But I'm here for you," he told her, his eyes making sure she understood that. "And whatever it is, you can tell me, Let. We're married." He needed a minute to let the words sink in. He would never get used to that thought of being married to her. Never. "You don't have to go through that alone. Not anymore. I'm here," he promised. "And I mean it this time, okay? No more running off."

With that affectionate look on his face and the sweet sound of his voice, there was no way Letty could've resisted the urge to kiss him, so she leaned forward and pressed her lips onto his. It was a loving kiss that lasted for almost a minute. She had her eyes closed and cupped his other cheek in the process, holding his face in both her hands now. Dom did the same with hers.

"I love you," she whispered, making Dom chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Letty muttered a little confused, eyeing him.

"Nothing, it's just– Well, you know, you didn't used to say it much." He smiled weakly, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "I always knew, but you hardly ever said it back."

"But I always loved hearing _you_ say it," she disclosed, and Dom started to grin broadly when he saw a little smirk on her lips – a reaction he had been dying to see since the last time he spoke to her.

"Remember the first time you said it?" she asked him and when he nodded, Letty couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry for being such a bitch back then," she apologized, pecking him on the lips, and rested her hands at the sides of his neck. "It was really sweet, I just couldn't–"

"Fucking do that?" Dom finished her sentence, laughing. It was a blessing to be able to laugh with her about something _she_ had reminded him of. Not long ago, it had always been him, who had tried to make her remember things.

"You remember the words too? Oh God, I must've scarred you for life," she giggled, as she buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Not that much to remember, is there? You were pretty clear," Dom laughed.

 _It had been about four months since Dom got locked away at Lompoc and Letty had only now managed to go see him. She couldn't stand the thought of having to look him in the eye and tell him about Mia and how everything at home seemed to fall apart without him there. She didn't want to disappoint him. She really tried to keep things together, but it was so hard. And so incredibly painful, too._

 _She had always been interested in him, but pretended it was nothing really serious. Then he had started hitting on her and she couldn't really figure out if he meant it the way it seemed, so she had kept him at a distance. They had eventually ended up becoming more than friends, friends with benefits, and she had like it, but admitting to herself that she had indeed fallen in love with him had never really happened until the moment those handcuffs had clicked and she knew he would be gone for a very long time._

It had actually been heartbreaking to see him get taken away from her. She could still feel the pain. Even four months later, it felt like her heart was still hurting, still breaking in her chest. The pain was too real. And she knew he had asked of her not to come visit him in prison, but she needed to see him. She needed to see what he looked like. She needed to know how he felt; if he was okay, even if it hurt.

Letty could hardly keep still in her seat. It felt like she had been waiting hours to finally see him. When the door opened and Dom appeared, she couldn't help but smile. He sat down in front of her and Letty hated the fact that there was a barrier between them. She wanted to hug him, feel his strong arms around her. She missed his touch so much.

She studied his face, realizing quickly how broken Dom was underneath his cool exterior. He put up a brave front, but he was exhausted and sad about being in here and away from his family. Letty could see that clearly, no matter how hard he tried to hide it, and she hoped it wouldn't get any worse, because it felt terrible to know how much he suffered.

"No offense, but you look like shit," she saluted him with a cheeky grin, trying to ignore the fact that Dom didn't look okay.

"Nice seeing you, too," he laughed, shaking his head at Letty's teasing welcome. He had missed her more than she would ever know, but although he was extremely happy she was here now, he remembered what he had told her before he got put behind bars. "I asked you not to come, though. Why do you never listen to me, Let?"

"Because I'm free to make my own decisions and I chose to come here, so if you want me gone, just say so, Dominic," Letty snapped at him, "but don't expect me to follow orders." She was a bit taken aback by the sound of his voice. Dom almost sounded like he was mad at her for ignoring his wishes and showing up here. Hadn't he missed her at all?

"What happened to your face," Dom asked, curiously but also slightly worried. He didn't want to fight with her now. Fine, she hadn't listened to him, but he couldn't act like he wasn't happy to see her. And besides, he had known right away that she would eventually turn up at Lompoc. After all, this was Letty. She had a mind of her own.

"Oh, that!" Letty smirked, her mood changing quickly. She was thankful that Dom hadn't in fact sent her away. Moving one hand over her cheek, which still wore some scratches, she explained, "Got into a fight. Some guy delivered a right hook to my face, I punched him back, now I have this ugly thing to remember him by for a while."

She raised her other hand, holding it close against the pane, so Dom could see her knuckles. "And this," she added. "Broke two of them, but the doc said it's nothing serious. It looks really bad, though, doesn't it?" she laughed.

Dom saw the bruises, the different colors her injuries had caused the skin on her knuckles to turn into. It looked like she had thrown a really hard punch. Hell, it looked like it still hurt a lot. He caught himself wanting to plant a kiss on those wounds, to make it feel better, but he couldn't and that made him incredibly sad.

"Do me a favor," he sighed. "For once in your life control your temper and don't let anyone put you into the hospital, okay?" Dom closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply. "Don't get yourself killed why I'm in here. I mean it. I'm worried enough as it is." He looked at her sincerely and the expression on Letty's face changed in an instant.

She was glad he hadn't ask why she had even gotten into a fight with that guy – then she would've had to tell him it was because of what was going on with Mia – but she suddenly felt so miserable, she just couldn't hide it anymore. Not being able to be close to him was even harder than she had imagined before coming here.

She loved him and she still had to wait years to get him back and be able to tell him that and be with him – or maybe not. She didn't know exactly how he felt. This friends-with-benefits thing had been going on so long it almost felt like they were officially together. But they weren't. She wanted them to be, yet she knew she could never be with him for as long as he was in jail, because that just hurt too much. It fucking hurt. She wasn't made for this. She hated this place. She hated the fact that he had gotten himself into this mess, and she kind of hated him for making her feel this way.

Why couldn't Dom just be a guy she liked to have sex with? And why couldn't she just find another guy to keep herself busy with in bed? Why did she want this couple thing at all? Why couldn't it just be about sex? Why did it have to be him? Why had she fallen in love with him? Well, she kinda knew why she had, but why him? Why now?

"Come home," Letty whispered loud enough for Dom to hear, "Please, come home," and put her hand on the glass. She missed him so much it physically hurt her. It was like she couldn't breathe in here knowing she would have to leave this place without him.

In a second, Dom had his arm up in the air, his hand pressed against the same spot on the pane where hers did. That glass barrier was the only thing keeping him from moving over to her and embracing Letty in a tight hug; making her feel what he felt for her. God, why had he done this to himself? To them?

She needed to know how he felt and for the moment he didn't care how she felt about him. It didn't matter. He just needed to put this out there; to admit what kept him awake at night all this time; that it were thoughts of her that warmed his heart in that cold cell he slept in.

Letty looked at their hands, trying not to cry. She felt stupid for even thinking that, but the almost-touch she shared with him this second felt more intense than everything his touch had ever made her feel when it had caressed her skin. It was an energy that captured her, making her get lost in the moment so much that she forgot about everyone else in that room.

"I need to tell you something," Dom started talking, fixating his gaze on her when she looked up to him and away from their hands.

There was something about his face that made Letty lose touch with the glass. She didn't know what it was that she could see in his eyes that suddenly made her feel so uncomfortable, but something just wasn't right in the way he looked at her. She couldn't even remember a time when Dom had ever looked at her like that.

Dom was a bit surprised about seeing her lowering her arm so fast, like her mood swung round again, but he didn't let her reaction confuse him for too much longer than it should and so he continued to say what he needed her to hear.

"The thing is, I have plenty of time to think here and it made me realize... I miss you," he declared, trying to smile at her. It ended up being a lopsided sneer. Letty eyed him suggestively with a raised brow, thinking she knew exactly what he meant.

"No, not like that," Dom stated firmly. "Not just the sex... I _really_ miss you. Everything about you... and it's making me believe that I– No, I _know_ that I–" He paused. Would his words change anything? Change everything? "I love you," he went on, his voice as sincere as it could be. "I'm in love with you, Letty. I'm serious. I love you and I want–"

"What the fuck, Dom?" Letty sprung to her feet, knocking over the chair in the process. "You can't tell me that now. Do you even know how hard–" She didn't continue, just looked at him and shook her head. Closing her eyes for a moment she tried to fight the tears. "I can't fucking do this. I'm sorry," she then stated and quickly left the room.

Outside, Letty leaned her back against the wall, breathing in and out, again and again. She felt as though she had what people called a panic attack. It was almost impossible for her to calm her breath. Her body collapsed hard on the floor; so hard indeed that she hurt herself a little, but she didn't care. Burying her face in her arms, Letty started sobbing.

She tried to get comfort out of the thought that Dom wouldn't be in Lompoc forever. Some day he would get out and then she would have the courage to look him in the eye and tell him. But she didn't feel like she could do this right now. She didn't feel like she was strong enough to be with Dom – who she _couldn't_ actually be with, because he was locked up in a cell. It hurt too much. She hoped he knew that was the only reason why she had rejected him like that. It wasn't because she didn't love him back.

"Would you please make sure she's okay?" Dom asked the officer, who put the chair back up that Letty had knocked over. "I will go back as soon as I know she's alright." He resisted the guards from taking him back immediately by standing still on the ground as though someone had put his feet in cement.

 _"Please go check on her. I can't– I need to know she's okay," Dom pleaded. He really wasn't too proud to beg. It saddened him that Letty had reacted that way, but he still thought it had been right to tell her. Maybe she needed time to let it sink in; think about it for a day – or two – and figure out what she felt for him. He hoped this wasn't the last he had seen of her._

 _"She's gone, Mr. Toretto," the man told him after he had gone outside, wanting to check up on the woman who had stormed through the door earlier. "I'm sorry. There's no one in the hallway." He looked back at Dom and Dom lowered his head, taking a step forward without having to be pushed by the guards. This was it, wasn't it? He had scared her away._

"Maybe I shouldn't have told you when I did, but I really needed you to know that I couldn't get through that without you," Dom reminded her of the past, looking at Letty with a crooked smile. "Even if it was just the thought of you."

"Your timing's always been the worst," Letty asserted, assuming a seriocomic tone. She returned his smile and put a strand of her hair behind her ear, thinking, before she continued, "But I guess, even if you had chosen a different time to tell me, I still would've freaked out because, you know… being in love with you never gets– It'll always scare the shit outta me, Dom," she admitted shyly.

She turned her gaze away from him, shifted around on the bed, conspicuously nervous, one hand tightly encompassing the other. She clenched her fingers, not realizing how tensed her actions made her entire body appear. Her face was taut with trepidation.

Letty had learned to rope in her emotions but the fire still burned, even if the flame burned subdued. If only she were angry, then it was easy for her to just say whatever was going on in her mind. But if something really pulled at her heartstrings, she could hardly find any words to voice her feelings. To be hard and have walls up came more natural to her than showing raw emotion, showing vulnerability.

She didn't want to be vulnerable and loving someone as much as she loved Dom did make her extremely vulnerable, because it meant she had so much to lose. She hated that. Dom knew it; every single one of their friends knew it. Letty loathed having to depend on someone, but she really was dependent on Dom to stay alive and be with her for the rest of her life.

She remembered the accident and what it had been like holding Dom's lifeless body in her arms while she'd wanted nothing more than to feel him breathing; the relief at hearing his voice that had washed over her with such intensity that she had thought her heart had stopped and only his words made it beat again. She had never felt so vulnerable in her life and she never wanted to feel that way ever again.

Letty became aware of Dom's arm on her back, then on her shoulder. She turned her head to face him again. Dom looked at her, deeply moved, half-smiling. "I know," his baritone voice stimulated her ear drum. A warm chill ran down her spine and when Dom pulled her into his arms the tension in Letty's body eased and she relaxed into him, soft and pliant.

Dom drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. She felt so good, so right, so… _his_. Just holding her close like this meant the world to him. Knowing she was finally with him again, alive and with every memory that made her who she was, still left him somewhat speechless. No one would ever understand how much he cherished that dream he was fortunate to live. How could he ever have let that go? Let _her_ go?

Letty waited for Dom to say some more, but he kept silent. She didn't mind, as she knew he understood her and probably felt the same way. He didn't need to say anything else. There was a reason why they both had fooled around with each other before committing to a serious relationship. Having a weak spot was one thing, letting other people know about it another.

"Your sister punched me for not inviting her to the wedding... and not telling her about it," Letty raised her voice again after the silence became too much to bear. She looked at Dom, slightly grinning.

"Me, too. And Brian," Dom chuckled, stroking her arm. "You think he's having a bad influence on Mia? Should I tell him to stay the hell away from her?" Although he was anything but serious, he gave his best to act like it, a saturnine look on his face and an arched eyebrow to make a point.

"Definitely," Letty answered, as serious as Dom acted. "That boy is trouble. And he was from the very second he walked into our lives. He tore our family apart and broke your sister's heart. He doesn't deserve her." Her sharp voice and her piercing glance irritated Dom.

"Um, just to make sure... You're joking, right?" he asked confused, letting his arm fall down on the mattress. He pulled back, but already saw her body shaking with laughter. And it only took a second until Letty's laugh invaded the pavilion of his ear. "Oh, you almost had me," he laughed, slapping her lightly against the shoulder, which only caused more laughter coming out of her mouth.

He had forgotten how much he enjoyed just laughing with her about the silliest things. Most people didn't even know they did that whenever they were together – and alone – for a few hours. But they hadn't done that in a long, long time and after all this drama, it just made Dom feel more alive than ever. Yet he knew they couldn't keep this up.

Dom tried to calm himself down. It worked, but it took him a while to get control of his heavy breathing again to be able to speak his mind – and his words took Letty by surprise. "Letty, we aren't–," She had expected their conversation to turn to that direction sooner or later, but she had wished for it to wait until she was ready. Would she ever be ready for this, though?

"Okay?" she ended his sentence in the form of a question, knowing exactly where he was going with this. "Yeah... I know," she told him, now feeling like someone was choking her, as her throat felt constricted and the lump inside was slowly depriving her of her last breath; slowly killing her. "But why– Why can't we just go back to–"

"The start?" Now, it was Dom's turn to finish her sentence the same way she had finished his. It was a question, not a statement, but just like she had been, he was right too. He could see Letty nodding, right before she leaned against his shoulder and sighed. Dom dropped his cheek to rest on her head. He lay one hand on hers, hoping it would help her relax.

"You know we can't," he stated, wishing he could've given her a different answer, but everything unspoken between them was hanging above their heads ready to crush them any minute if they chose to ignore their issues. "Too much has happened and we need to talk about it... _All_ of that." He paused for a moment, then added, "But I'm willing to go first, if that makes it easier for you."

Letty intertwined her fingers with his. She was scared; so scared about what they had to do now, and as if Dom could feel it, he squeezed her hand as a sign of encouragement. They could do this. Being brutally honest with each other was never easy, but it was always the right thing to do. He truly believed that, and so did she. One of them just needed to set the ball rolling; start somewhere.


	8. Something To Talk About

**A/N:** ** **I appreciate everyone of you who's kind enough to review and let me know that you're still enjoying this story even though I'm the worst at updating. So sorry it always takes me so long! I love your feedback. I love that you love this story. Thank you!****

 **As I mentioned in the earlier chapter both Dom and Letty get very emotional during this talk. I honestly wasn't sure if this was the right way to portray them but re-reading it I felt like it's still in character. If it isn't for some of you then please respect that I tried. bammbamm28 guessed that their conversation starts to get heated and the minor spoiler is that it does but not yet, haha. In the next chapter though, so brace yourselves!  
**

 **Enjoy x**

* * *

"I'm sorry for hurting you," Dom decided to be first in line opening up, "I never wanted to do that." Letty noticed how his breath grew sharp and pained, as though he was about to act on feelings that had lain dormant in the depths of his being. "And I hate myself for it," Dom told her. "I couldn't live with myself if I ever–"

He didn't continue, not even after what seemed like a minute, so Letty looked up to him and was shocked to see his eyes flooded with tears. He cried – silently but still. Dominic Toretto was actually allowing himself to be vulnerable; to feel it; _show_ it. Letty couldn't stand the sight. It almost made her burst into tears herself.

She tried to recall the last time she had seen him cry. It must've been after his dad had died. So long ago. And that had been different. He had screamed in pain, furiously hitting against the wall, almost breaking every bone in his hand. Letty felt like looking at him right now was a lot harder. It was harder for her to witness him cry when she didn't hear him yell but saw him trying to gulp back his sobs. It was heartbreaking to see this big grown man look so child-like, weeping bitter tears of remorse, obviously.

"Dom, don't. Don't cry. Please," she begged in a whisper, kissing Dom's cheek, tasting the saltiness of his tears. "I'm here now," she assured him, kissing him again.

Dom stared at the ground with a clenched jaw, not wanting to cry even more. "It's okay," he answered softly, smiling through tears, and slowly turned his head to look Letty in the eyes. He could see the wet layer covering them. _Well, so much for not wanting to see anymore tears_ , he thought. That had turned out just perfect.

Dom guided his free hand, the one that didn't hold hers, to her face, wiping away a small tear. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you look... even when you cry?" he murmured.

His words put a shy smile on Letty's lips, as she felt her cheeks blushing. Looking down at their hands, she let her fingers run over his skin. Just sitting here with him, even if they were both crying right now, made her happy. Happy, but also terrified since they hadn't even really started to talk about anything serious yet. Letty was almost sure that when this conversation was over there would be no more tears left to cry.

"And I _hate_ to see you cry," she sighed, looking up to him again.

Dom cracked a smile when she brought her hands up and rested them on both sides of his face. Her thumbs stroke along his orbital rim, then her fingers travelled further moving from his cheekbones down to his lips where she let them stay for a while. She loved his lips; loved how they made her feel whenever they touched her.

Then suddenly Dom's mouth was upon hers, devouring her with kisses. It took her by surprise, but it didn't take long until she returned the passion with her own. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her so close that his heartbeat felt like her own while Letty's hands moved from his face to the back of his head.

God, his kisses were like an ice-cold Corona on a hot summer's day; like bolts of lightning running through her, electrifying her body.

She knew this was wrong, as they were obviously just trying to avoid talking, but only for a moment she wanted to revel in the pleasure of feeling Dom's lips all over her. However, when he buried his face in her neck, tugging at the hem of her shirt, trying to pull it up, she couldn't give into this temptation any longer.

"No," she told him, as she grabbed his hand, gently pulling it away from her hips. "We can't– We need to... talk," she uttered, her voice quivering a little.

Letty felt Dom's hot breath caressing the skin in her neck. She heard him sigh and knew what his face would say before he even looked at her. She could still see his skin being wet from tears, his eyes that must've showed his desire, were now indicating discomfort. They both clearly felt the same way about needing to have this talk.

Dom looked at Letty, licking his lips that still tasted of her. Somehow they had never found it this difficult to talk about something. That was probably because they knew it would be the hardest conversation they ever had to go through. Maybe they would argue, or cry again. He didn't know and actually, he didn't even want to find out. But they were grown-ups, so they couldn't deal with this like teenagers, acting like their problems didn't matter that much; that love was enough. Ignoring their problems wouldn't make them go away.

Dom lowered his head, in- and exhaling deeply before he opened his mouth to speak, looking at Letty again. Brian was right; he had to tell her everything.

"I'm scared," he whispered, his voice almost breaking under the weight of his grand emotions. "I'm so scared to lose you again, I can't– Every time– Every day I wake up and I see you, I remember what it was like _not_ seeing you... being without you and–" He stopped, as he could feel his eyes well up. As much as he wanted to say all this, he hated how it made him feel.

"Everyone knows how much I suffered from your loss, but they all think that the pain got less after I put Braga behind bars... Killed that bastard, who killed– Well, almost killed you, but... they're wrong," he declared, sighing deeply. "You know I always loved you, but I never understood how much until you've got taken away from me."

Letty listened to him closely. Seeing Dom so vulnerable, hearing him admit to being scared, touched her so intimately tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't help it. And it meant so much to her that Dom allowed himself to be this open about his feelings. He had always been kinda emotional, but this was different. All this time, when she had had no memory, he had pulled himself together to be of support for her. Now, he was finally falling apart.

"When I asked you to marry me, I told you that I can live without you... that I just don't want to... but it's not true. It's far from being the truth. I _can't_ live without you... not a week, not a day, not a _second_. And realizing that, I just– To be honest, it doesn't help. It just makes this fear I have even bigger."

"But you're not gonna lose me again, Dom, I promise. You just can't– Just don't leave me... ever again."

"It's not just losing you I'm afraid of. It's– I hurt you so much and I wanna make up for that, but I'm scared to do it all wrong. I mean, what if I do something that will make you–"

"Leave?" she asked to which he nodded. She understood where that angst was coming from, but she had no intention to leave him and he knew that. Hell, if she had any reason to go, she had been given it already when he had left her in the DR. But she had come back to him, forgiven him. There was no way she was ever going to regret that decision. He didn't need to fear anything.

"That will never happen," she promised. "Nothing you can do will ever keep me away from you, Dom. Don't you get that by now?" Letty tried to smile, as she cupped his face.

"I don't doubt your love, Let, I'd never do, but I've put you through so much. How much more can you take? I just don't want you to feel like there's anything out there that is more important to me than you are. Whatever I do, I'm doing it for us… for you."

"I know that, Dom, okay? I know that," she made clear. "And I love how you're taking care of me, I really do. I just hate it when you think you can decide what's best for me. I'm old enough– I'm _woman_ enough to make my own decisions, and if I wanna stay with you then you have to respect and accept that, even if it _is_ dangerous. I don't care what you do, Dom. You can go rob a bank, if you want to. Just let me decide for myself if I wanna be a part of that. It's _my_ life we're talking about, so _I_ decide what's best for me." Letty paused for a second before she continued, "But my decisions will always include you... Wherever you go, I go. You ride, I ride. You fight, I fight," she smiled, "Remember?"

Of course, he did. Her wedding vows had been the most meaningful words she had ever told him. He would never forget them. He had been so wrong not to cherish them enough to stay with her; to not give her the chance to live up to those words and stick by him. It was so hard to accept the fact that he needed to live with that poor choice he had made. They had had it all and he idiot had ruined it. Now, they had to get back on track and he was the only one to be held responsible for that.

Dom gave her a silent nod and out of the blue, like someone had shot him, sunk down to rest his head on Letty's lap, his body leaning against her. He sighed like an old man with the burdens of the whole world on his shoulders, but looked like a kid that wanted to find comfort in the arms of his mother. His movement took Letty by surprise, but it was right then and there that she clearly understood how hard it was for Dom to be so open about his feelings.

Letty slowly bent forward to plant a kiss on top of his head. She caressed his skin with her lips and stroke his cheek with the back of her hand. "What else, baby? Anything else you fear? You can tell me," she said, whispering to Dom. A small smile played upon her lips. She couldn't help but find it somewhat adorable how he clung to her. What had happened to her had not only changed her, it had also changed him.

Dom put a hand on her leg, sliding his arm down its length and back up again while he closed his eyes. It felt good not being the one who held her close, but having Letty comforting him for a change. He felt like a mama's boy, but he didn't care. He had missed her touch, and after all the drama, he needed to be close to her again – while he was fully conscious this time. He was a man, who had lost his wife, fortunate enough to get her back. If there was just one thing he could do for the rest of his life it would be snuggling up to her.

"I don't wanna be overprotective over you," Dom spoke quietly, "but just the thought of not being there when you need me the most... that I might be responsible for anything bad happening to you... _again_... that I could've protected you from... I can't shake it off. I really want to, but I can't. It's me who got us here, though, so I guess that's my own fault."

Dom heaved another sigh. He needed to say more, but he wanted to be able to look her in the eyes when he did. Wanting to sit up, he made a move, but Letty's hand on his back kept him down and so he rested his head on her lap again. He felt Letty's breath right next to his ear, then heard her voice.

"I'm enjoying this. Please give me another minute," she said, and Dom knew that she was smiling. It made him smile too. "You don't always have to be such a tough guy," Letty reminded him like she had done so many times before when they were younger. She knew how much he wanted to be, but ultimately, he was just a big ball of cotton candy covered in strong American muscle.

"Does this look tough to you?" Dom questioned, and Letty had to giggle.

"I mean, it's okay to be scared," she explained to him. "I'm glad you told me. You should always be able to tell me these things. Don't ever feel like you have to put on a mask. I know you want to be there for people all the time, be strong for everyone, but you don't have to do that with me." It was important for him to know that. "The protection thing works both ways, you know. I may not agree with your choices, but I'll do whatever I have to do to keep you safe. I'm _always_ gonna be here to catch you when you fall, Dom," she declared fondly. "I love you."

Letty leaned her upper body against him. She was pretty sure, he still had no idea how much she actually loved him. She would do anything for him. Well, anything she thought was right. If he needed her advice, then she would give him that. If he needed her to tell him he was an idiot, then she wouldn't hold back. And if he needed her to be the one to comfort him, to hold him, then she would be exactly that. He just needed to allow himself to need her, like he did now. She knew it was hard for him, it was hard for her too, but they both had to learn how to do that more often.

"And nothing bad's gonna happen to me, because I got you," Letty chose to continue speaking since Dom didn't say anything. "You don't need to worry. I'm not gonna do anything stupid."

"You mean apart from the stupid shit you've been doing your whole life?" Dom butted in.

"Yes," she laughed, "apart from that," and pinched his arm. "But look who's talking."

Dom straightened and, running his hand over his head and his face, tried to get his feelings to settle down so he could focus. His eyes still burned a little from all the tears he had shed; his emotions still running high. Looking at Letty, he started to tell her, "Seriously, Letty, that shit you pulled with Braga–" but didn't get far.

"I did that for you." Letty argued.

"Yeah, I know," he stated and his face turned dark, which Letty noticed right away.

"What?"

"After Mia called me in Panama to tell me about your murder, I was– I was okay. Well, not okay, but, you know, I wasn't– All I thought about was revenging your death, but then– When I got the box with your stuff, I called the number in your cell and when Brian's phone rang, I was– There was all this hurt and anger, so I jumped him and I fought him like– I was just so mad at him for not telling me and then he told me you were doing it for me and I– I felt like– I left. I had to get away from him... from Mia... from everything, so I got into the car and–"

"What did you do?"

He tried to smile, but all he could manage was a grimace. "I broke down and cried," he recalled. "I felt so bad for knowing you died because of me... for leaving you in the first place. I couldn't stop crying." Dom remembered how it had made him feel, and the pain was as present now as it had been that day. "I started driving. I could barely see anything through the tears, but I didn't care, I just wanted to get there." Letty's look seemed to search for an answer, so he gave her that. "To that spot where you and I had our first real encounter... when you almost lost your arm."

Letty recalled the memory of when Dom had tried to show off at a street race, pulling a stunt with his car he hadn't mastered and thus had wiped out right next to her. And although she didn't feel like it, that memory made her smile. If he had known back then that she had already had the hots for him, it had surely been less funny. She had acted like she didn't care and he had made a complete fool of himself. It had been adorable.

"You did it again, didn't you? That stunt?" she guessed.

"I know this sounds dumb, but I didn't want us to be over, so I went back to where it started. I wanted to relive that memory. I was _so_ into you that day. Just knowing there's this girl that– that doesn't compare to anyone else… that deserves a great show. I was really happy… and so excited." His expression softened until he looked like he was about to break down again. "But then, really all the memories came back, the images, and–"

"You crashed?"

Dom nodded.

"You stupid idiot!" Letty protested, almost shouting at him. "What if you had fucking killed yourself?" She took a deep, calming breath. No one else, she thought. No one else could set her off so easily. Sometimes, Dominic Toretto really did do the stupidest things possible.

Dom looked at her as though he was saying it wouldn't have mattered anyway, because inside, he had already stopped living the moment he had lost her. "I could see you standing there, Letty, and I just lost it. I lost control and I didn't care. I didn't do anything, I just let it happen."

He knew now how reckless that had been. If anything bad had happened to him, Mia would've been all alone. Dom was sorry for having done something so selfish; for putting himself in danger without thinking of his sister first, but not as sorry as he was for what he had done to Letty. That had been, and still was, the biggest regret of his life.

"I didn't wanna die, I just didn't feel like living," he confessed, sighing.

Instantly, Letty grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. "And how does that feel?" she asked, as she kissed him on the cheek, "Does that feel like living?" She saw Dom's face lighten up, his mouth curl into a smile, and she chuckled. "I take that as a yes," Letty said, lowering her head to his shoulder. But once she gave herself some time to think sadness got hold of her again.

"The worst part was not knowing if you were gonna come back," she sighed. "I mean, the closer I got to Braga the more I allowed myself to think I could get you home, but– But if your name hadn't been cleared, would you still have come back... some day?"

Letty raised her head and looked at him. She had been dying to ask him that ever since she had gotten her memories back. She had always kinda known that he would come back to them, come back home, but there had been a constant doubt in her heart that he actually might not. She really needed him to be honest with her just so she could stop wondering.

"Letty, what did I leave behind? In the DR?" Dom turned to face her.

"Me?" Letty replied quickly with a weak smile on her lips.

"Yeah… What else?" Dom smiled back at her, his thumb stroking along her cheekbone. He could see in her eyes how much she struggled right now to be able to pull herself together.

"Money… like I'm a fucking hooker." Letty didn't sound as sad as she looked. She suddenly sounded rather mad. Real mad.

"You know, it wasn't like that," Dom defended himself, reacting to the different tone of her voice. "I'd never–" He sighed. If she really felt this way, he had done more damage to her than he'd thought.

"The cross necklace," Letty mumbled, "That _one_ thing that was supposed to remind you not to leave... Our wedding ring. One hell of a way to break your vows, Dom." She soon managed to swallow her anger. If she could choose between being angry and sad, though, she had rather not because the less mad she got, the more she felt hurt.

"And what did I give you before we took on Shaw?" Dom continued asking questions.

"What kind of question is that? You know what." Letty didn't know why he kept bugging her with this. What the hell was he trying to achieve? "The cross. You said you'd come back for that," she stated.

"Right, and what happened then?" Dom knew it was only a matter of time until she would get to the core of all of this. If she put her hard feelings aside and started to really think, she'd be able to understand.

"You came back... You _literally_ came back." Letty drew in a jerky breath. She closed her eyes, hopelessly trying to keep her composure. "Dom, please stop reminding me of– You almost died. Why are you doing this? It– I don't wanna–"

Dom saw the look in her eyes when she opened them again, the small layer of tears, and he was sorry to have made her cry again, but he wasn't finished just yet. Surely he could've told her the end of the story, but he wanted her to figure that out for herself.

"You remember our street race in London? I had a gift for you."

"Yeah, you– you gave me the cross... said it was mine," Letty answered, slowly realizing what he wanted to emphasize. "And then you... came back. You... saved me."

She would never forget what it felt like to have someone she hadn't known turn into freaking Superman and launch himself off a bridge, risking his life in an attempt to save hers. That was when she really knew she could trust him.

"You see, I didn't leave the cross behind to tell you I'm done with you... with us," Dom told her. "I left it there to protect you... To let you know I was gonna come back for that, because I always do." He took her face in his hands. "I will _always_ come back to you, mi amor."

"But you should've never left me in the first place," Letty cried. "You have no idea how much that hurt. It still does, Dom. It fucking _hurts_!"

God, she really was sick of crying, but she had never been so hurt in her life. She had never been so happy either. Did that make even sense? She knew how sorry he was, she could see it in his eyes, and she really had forgiven him, but that pain just seemed to take the longest route possible to reach Fuckthat ville.

"Letty, I can never undo what I did. I can never go back in time to that night and... not disappear... erase my mistake," he tried to explain himself, "But what I can do is... trying to make up for it and show you that I've learned my lesson. I'm here for you now and I always will be. I never wanted to– Please believe me, I never wanted to hurt you on purpose."

"C'mere!" he whispered, pulling her close. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and moved his hands up and down her back, hoping it would calm her down. Seeing Letty like that broke his heart. He knew he could probably never repair the damage he had done, but he was willing to try even if he had to spend a lifetime doing that.

The thought that Letty could've suffered a tailspin like he had back in the days had motivated his actions. He really hated prison and he didn't want Letty to experience anything like it, especially because of _his_ poor choices. He had made several in the past, the poorest one leaving her, but as flawed as his decision had been, he had just wanted to give Letty her best chance for a life of agency and freedom. If he had stuck around, that would've never been possible.

But in the end, leaving her behind had only proved to be dangerous and led to her death. He should've never made that decision for her. In fact, he should never make decisions for someone else. He had pushed Letty away and yet she had gotten herself killed while trying to clear his name. The guilt he felt about what had happened had never entirely disappeared. It haunted him every day of his life, even now that she could remember and had forgiven him. Maybe it was time to finally forgive himself – one of the hardest things he had ever had to do.

"I fucking hate crying," Letty grumbled, "I swear to God, if you ever tell anyone–"

"I won't. Trust me," Dom laughed out loud. "No one will ever know what a big ball of mush you are," he chuckled and tucked her head against his chest. Kissing her hair, he sighed deeply. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Good," Letty muttered, snuggling her face into Dom's shoulder, her hands grabbing the back of his shirt. Being in his arms was the most comforting feeling she had ever experienced. Those arms had become her true home a long, long time ago. They still were.

They held each other for minutes until Dom eventually broke the silence that had lingered between them, his tone as serious as it could be. "I don't wanna do any more jobs," he spoke quietly.

"Dom, you kidding? You love doing this stuff," Letty mentioned astounded, sitting back.

She didn't know where this was suddenly coming from, but she sure as hell knew that these words hadn't been easy for him to say, especially since he meant them. Being out there with the family and doing stuff that was dangerous, and sometimes hardly legal, was kind of his lifestyle. He had always gotten a kick out of these heists for as long as she could remember.

He loved not doing anything for a while, but could he really be like one of these retired people who relaxed at home, took care of the family and did some gardening work – though in Dom's case gardening implied fixing cars. Brian was settling down with Mia, but Dom was different. Didn't he need the action?

"You mean more to me than any of that," Dom stated firmly.

"You don't have to do that just because–"

"I want to. It's time," he interrupted her. "I don't need this heist thing to feel alive or anything, I got you."

He had thought about this long enough and if he really wanted to make things work with her, to make amends, he needed to leave this adventurous and dangerous life behind. He needed to focus on his family; the wife he loved more than anything. She was all that mattered to him.

"You don't have to give up something you love... for _me_."

As sweet as that was, she couldn't deny to be a bit worried that Dom would regret his choice; that this life he was obviously wanting to live with her would not give him the satisfaction he needed. Besides, she wasn't so sure about herself and her own needs. That thought of settling down somehow made her feel slightly anxious. She couldn't explain why. There was just something about it that scared her.

Maybe it had to do with him. Maybe she was scared that once they were settled, they would learn things about each other that, even after 15 years, they hadn't gotten to know yet; that it would be bad things; that they would get sick of hanging around together and jeopardize their marriage. However, Letty couldn't help but think that this was the exciting thing about going to be one of these married couples. After all, life with Dom was always exciting.

"Letty, I know what it's like not having to run from the authorities, not needing to hide, to just be... free… and happy," Dom argued.

Yeah, life with Dom was always exciting – as long as it didn't hurt.

"You mean when you were with Elena? You liked that?" Letty didn't even feel like it had been her own words passing her lips. The words had left her mouth before she had put so much as a thought into it. It was like a feeling inside of her had somehow discovered the ability to find its own voice; to speak.

"Yes... No. No, not _that_... Not– Not because of Elena, okay, just–"

"Why her, Dom? Why did you–"

And then it was too late. He had to talk about the one thing – that one person – he still rather not wanted to talk about.


	9. Tell Me Why

**A/N: This was so hard to write tbh, partly because I know you expect much and secondly because it's just really emotional and I felt really bad for both my babies. Sigh. I'm honestly a bit anxious you won't like it, especially the end because I did something which I'm sure will come as a shock to most of you since my hints weren't really that obvious.** **To my dear bammbamm28, I hope this got the amount of heat in it that you wanted to see, lol. Thank you for your sweet reviews guys. They really help me keep going, because it can definitely be frustrating when you know what you wanna write and how you wanna put it but your English just sucks.**

 _ **Flashback starts and ends in italics.**_

* * *

Letty looked at him, but he didn't say anything. He didn't even look back at her. It made her angry. She didn't want to get mad, but it was on him to change that. If he could just tell her why he had been with Elena, what he had felt for her, she might not feel better, but at least she would get some answers to the questions that kept burning inside, not letting her find peace.

"What? You suddenly lost the ability to talk?" Letty scoffed at him, pulling away.

"No, I just– I don't know where to begin," Dom sang small.

If Letty seriously wanted to, he could tell her a lot about the nature of his and Elena's relationship but should he really put her through even more pain? He knew whatever he had to disclose about his ex was going to hurt Letty one way or another and she certainly had been through enough. He didn't want to hurt her any more than he had already had. But he also didn't want to keep anything from her. Dom knew he needed to put it all out there, no matter how hard it was and how much it hurt her.

"Well, I make it easy for you," Letty started, not wanting to waste any more time.

They had been dancing around this subject way too long. They– _She_ needed to be over and done with it, because she couldn't continue this – their marriage – if the subject kept hanging over them like a toxic fog. Her mind was already poisoned by self-doubt and negative thinking and these feelings wouldn't go away unless they cleared the air. Had he never thought about what would happen if she remembered? He had had enough time to prepare for this unless he'd never actually believed her memories would come back...

"Did you love her," she asked him, yet a question that was even more important to her followed right away. "I mean, were you guys just– Was it like a rebound thing, 'cause you two had lost someone, or were you seriously–" Letty paused, swallowing hard. "Were you _in_ love with her?"

The thought alone was painful; the thought that Dom could say yes to her question stung like a bee. She didn't want him to respond in the affirmative, but she wanted him to be honest with her as much as that hurt, so if his answer would have to be yes then she needed to know. And so Letty met his gaze defiantly for a moment longer, but Dom still made no attempt to argue.

"Damn it, Dominic, just answer my fucking question. Were you in love with Elena?" she repeated, angrier this time.

Being in love with someone and loving that person were two different things, to her at least, but Dom didn't seem to want to admit to either one. Letty could only guess why that was. It outraged her and she suddenly felt like yelling at him real loud – which she tried to avoid by inhaling deeply and then breathing out.

If he just liked, maybe loved, Elena, then Dom didn't really want her. He didn't want to own a part of her or give her a piece of himself. Elena wasn't worthy of owning a part of him. He didn't need her. He didn't need her to live a happy life, because his happiness didn't depend on her. And he didn't yearn for more and wanted to be with her as much as possible. But if all of that were just false assumptions and she was wrong, then Dom had really been in love with that woman, because that's how Letty felt about him.

She wanted him so much; even after all these years, she felt the intense urge to consume him in any way she could. She wanted to own a part of him – which she knew she did. And she didn't only want him, she needed him, needed him to be happy. Just being in love with Dom, even though sometimes it scared her how much she was, still got her high – a feeling she never wanted to let go of. And against everything she had pictured her future to be as a teenager, she had chosen to build a life with this man, marry him, grow old with him, because that was just how much she was in love him. She truly loved him.

"Letty, I honestly think you deserve some answers, but I just _don't_ wanna _fight_ with you. And I don't wanna hurt you. I know I already did, but this thing– Elena– That is just– It's– I mean– If Elena had left me for whatever reason, I wouldn't have gone after her. _That's_ how much I cared. Does that answer your question?"

"No, it doesn't!" Letty snapped, shouting. She hit him against the shoulder with her fist, just once but real hard, making Dom wince in pain. He was lucky she didn't have anything to throw at him. "You're an ass, Dominic! You're a fucking– God, you just make me– I can't even _look_ at you right now!"

Frustrated and angry, Letty quickly launched herself off the bed and crossed the room. Turning her back to him, she stared out of the window, peering down at their neighbor's pristine, freshly-mowed lawn. Her nails scrapped against the glass of the window as she curled her fingers into a palm. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed, comforted by the throbbing pain her nails brought as they dug into her skin.

As she tried to calm down, she could feel Dom staring at her, but didn't turn around and locked eyes with him just yet. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him and things she needed to know, but at the same time the possible answers frightened her.

"This is not what I signed up for when I married you. Pain… Crying." _Heartbreak_ , she added silently.

"I didn't know you were signing up for anything. I thought this was a commitment, not a contract."

"Then you should've fucking acted like it!" she hissed, not trying to yell at him this time. "You don't commit to someone like we did and then leave first thing and– You don't hook up with someone else so soon after– How long was I even gone before you got into her pan–"

"Don't do this to yourself, Letty," he sighed loudly, "Don't even think about me and Elena like that. It–"

"It is _you_!" she stated harshly. " _You're_ doing this to me, Dom. _You_ did this. I'm just trying to cope... to... move on."

All this time she hadn't even looked at him once. Tears kept burning behind her eyelids, but Letty wouldn't let them fall. She didn't want to cry, she wanted to be angry. And God, she was furious! She wanted to hit him, hurt him, shout at him. But hating him was also excruciating. She had never really hated him. She had just been extremely pissed at him.

 _"So you like my boy, huh?" Anton tried getting Letty to talk. She was helping him fixing a car since an hour, but hadn't said a single word the entire time and just done the things he had asked her to._

 _"No, I don't. I_ _hate_ _him," Letty answered, fuming. "The skanks are all over him and he doesn't even– He's gonna have a young Dom running around soon. You ready for that?"_

Tony laughed at the teenager's aggressive tone. She was still young, but already a serious force to be reckoned with. Letty was pretty smart too although she probably considered her interest in Mia's brother stupid. He could tell she had liked Dom for ages, but his son was too blind to notice that. It wasn't surprising that Letty was furious with Dom for doing the stuff he did, with the girls he liked.

"Oh, I don't think we have to worry about that," Anton laughed.

No matter how many girls Dom slept with, he was surely being careful. He had taught his boy everything about using protection; that it was okay to enjoy himself and have fun as long as he took care that certain things didn't happen such as getting a girl pregnant. That didn't necessarily mean that he liked the way his son treated those women, though.

" _We_ don't worry about anything," Letty scoffed. "I don't worry about Dom. I don't _care_ about him. He can do whatever. I don't _give_ a fuck!"

She lay down in front of the GTO's front bumper and squirmed under the car, a box end wrench in her right hand and an old plastic dishwashing pan in her left. Grabbing the wrench, Letty tried getting the plug loose by giving a good strong pull, bracing her other hand on the floor for leverage.

Anton noticed how she was trying to shield herself from his view by hiding under the car and he had to smile at the realization that his instincts hadn't been wrong. She _was_ interested in his son and obviously frustrated with the way things were going. He couldn't blame her. Dom didn't seem to care about starting anything serious with a girl and definitely not with her. That most certainly must've been tough on Letty.

"Letty, how long have we two known each other?"

"Since I was a baby, I guess?" Letty worded her answer as a question, as she slid out from under the car after the plug came loose and she could go on to the next step.

"Right," Tony said, remembering that time when Letty and Mia had play dates as toddlers; how adorable that Latina had been. Who knew she would grow up to be a real handful. "So you can pretend all you want, but I know when you want something."

"And what is it that I want?" Letty retorted, crawling under the car again, on her back this time, to unscrew the plug. When she felt the first gush of cold, draining oil struck her hand, she heard the voice of Dom's father again.

"Well, I think right now you want me to believe that you feel absolutely _nothing_ for my son," Tony mentioned, and Letty could hear in his voice that he was wearing a smirk on his face.

Sliding back out from under the car, Letty stood in front of it, wiping her hands with an old cloth. She looked to the side, straight into Tony's grinning face and couldn't help but smirk a little. How much she hated that she could never really be mad for long, had a hard time playing angry when one of them looked at her like that. No matter if it was Dom, Mia or their dad, it was impossible to resist that teasing grin.

Torettos – they were all the same annoying bunch of people who just loved to tease. It was like a line of attack, something to disarm her completely and just lighten up her mood. Wasn't difficult to see where Dom and Mia had gotten that from.

"Stop it, man, okay?" Letty tried stifling a laugh. "I don't feel anything–" She couldn't, and so she laughed weakly, then gave a single, quiet cough. Calming down, her face turned serious. "I just really think he'll be a dad before he even notices me... Not like this," she pointed to the car and the wrench in her hand, "but like that, you know."

Tony watched, as Letty's eyes fell to her breasts, her eyebrows raised. Getting the hint, he tried not to laugh out loud. He wouldn't tell her, but she was really sweet, at least when it came to Dom. He didn't know what his son had ever done to deserve her attention, because he clearly didn't deserve it, not with the way he acted, but somehow that beautiful and smart tomboyish girl had developed a serious crush on him.

"I'm turning sixteen soon and he still treats me like one of the guys," she complained. "I'm not that desperate for his attention, I mean I don't love him, but I just– I don't know. I just want him to see me for who I really am, you know? A freaking _girl_!" Letty threw the wrench to the ground, as she kept ranting, "No, you know what? Dominic Toretto can suck it! I'm not gonna do this any longer. I'm _done_ with him!"

When he saw her fighting the need to let her anger show through tears of frustration, Anton walked over to Letty and put his arm around her. He wasn't sure if Letty would allow it, because she usually didn't like to be coddled, as it made her appear weak and she hated that. This time, however, she didn't try fleeing his embrace and so he pulled her closer to his side and rested his cheek on her head, stroking her arm.

"You'll be alright, Letty. You know you will. But if it's any consolation to you, I think you're a great girl... with a great pair of boobs." Tony stopped briefly. "And it's not like me saying that as a grown man to a young teen sounds really creepy or anything. Not at all," he laughed.

"Oh my God, shut the eff up!" she snickered, his words putting the beauty of laughter back in Letty's face. She nudged him with the elbow into the rips and he cringed, losing his grip on her. When Tony looked at her, Letty grinned. "But thank you, appreciate that."

Dom's father stifled another laugh and made his way over to the car. "We still need to change the oil filter," he thought aloud.

"Already on to it," Letty got moving again before he could even say another word.

"You know, Letty, I still wonder if you have ever thought about the future." Anton mentioned. "I mean, Mia had her whole life planned when she was just six years old. Maybe her plans have changed, but there was a time when I knew what kind of guy she wanted to marry, what her wedding should look like, the children she wanted to have, boy first, then a girl, so I was wondering... You ever thought about kids?"

"Hell no," Letty laughed. "You know I'm nothing like Mi. I love her, I really do, but she can be– She still seems to be into that fairytale shit, and I don't know if her knight in shining armor will ever make an appearance let alone match all the criteria on her 'perfect man' list, but I wouldn't bet on it. All hell breaks loose, if she doesn't find him and, God forbid, has to lower her standards. Oh no!"

Her last two words holding a dramatic undertone, Tony smirked at her imitation of Mia as well as Letty's dead-on characterization of his daughter's romantic illusions. He knew Mia would change her perception of how she wanted her life to be, but right now, he had to admit that Letty had a point. It wasn't a bad thing that Mia seemed like that kind of girl, who believed in true love and that there was the perfect man out there, whom she could start a family with, but she still had to learn that life wasn't something anyone could plan. As the famous words said, life was what happened while everyone was busy making other plans.

"My life, what I want it to be, will _never_ depend on a man like that," Letty continued. "I don't _need_ a man to be happy. I'm happy on my own. And look where having kids got my mom." She released a scornful laughter, but there was undoubtedly sadness percolating through her words.

Tony's heart felt heavy. He had watched Letty's family fall apart, her mother never getting over the loss of her husband. She had started drinking and then after weeks of seeming to get better, one morning, she was just gone. A short letter was all she had left behind for her four kids. That had been two years ago.

Now, Letty's oldest brother was never around, the other one trying to take care of Letty and her little sister, but could barely cope. Anton had chosen to step in and support the family, making sure they had everything they needed. His mom, Dom and Mia's grandmother, gave them as much love as she could.

He was really proud of what Letty had become under these circumstances. He loved her as a daughter like he loved his own. He knew how hard it was for his kids having to grow up without a mom. It was a real tragedy that Letty had to go through the same. That was probably one of the many reasons why there was such a strong connection between the girls. They were so different yet so close.

Up to this day no one really knew if Letty's mother was still alive. She was dead to Letty, that much he knew. She never talked about her, never talked about her dad either or any of her siblings. It was like she didn't even have people of the same blood. Sometimes, Anton felt like the Torettos were the only people Letty really considered family. He loved that, because it meant that she didn't feel alone after all.

"I'm just not cut out to be a mom," Letty told him when he kept silent, "So no... I don't want kids."

"Maybe you just need to find the right man to convince you that family is a beautiful thing," Tony suggested, a grin playing on his lips.

"And by _right_ you mean your son?" Letty cocked an eyebrow. "I got family. I got Mia, Vince, Jesse, and you and– I haven't even started living my life yet. I'm _fifteen_! You're like a father to me and I love you, but if you wanna have grand babies, Tony, you're not gonna get them from me... especially not from me and Dom." The thought made her laugh.

"Yeah, you're right. You _are_ too young to think about this. I'm sorry," Anton apologized for being so persistent. "And if you never have any, it's cool." He didn't want her to think that she would be any less a woman if she didn't have children. Besides, it wasn't really any of his business. "It's just that you already seem to know exactly what you want, like an adult. Haven't seen that in many kids your age. Quite impressive."

"Have you _seen_ all these immature jerks around here? Dom included. It's not hard sticking out when everyone else doesn't know how to use their brains," she answered.

"Speaking of jerks... I guess I'm not supposed to know about this, but tomorrow's your first street race. You're ready for the big show?"

 _Tony wished that she would be careful. Knowing how much the guys liked to show off and how often something went wrong when some kid overestimated himself and lost control of his car, he could only hope that Letty wouldn't be like that. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her._

 _"Oh, please, I was_ _born_ _ready. And you know what else? I am gonna_ _kick_ _Dom's ass," Letty noted with a smirk, confident in her victory._

"Were you gonna have kids with her," Letty asked Dom when that memory of his father and her slowly faded away. She wasn't even sure, if she wanted to hear the answer to her question, thinking it would only hurt her more, but she needed to, because it killed her inside not to know. "If I hadn't shown up... If I had shown up a few years later... Would you–"

"I don't know," Dom sighed.

"Excus– What do you mean you don't _know_ ," Letty shot back at him, wheeling around and looking at him with a death stare.

"I was telling myself that I could love her... eventually. I didn't think of kids. I mean, I didn't–"

Dom paused. He really wanted to be honest with her, but saying what he had to say and knowing it would hurt her clearly wasn't something that was easy for him. He took another moment to think more about her question, thought about what he did feel back then.

If he thought of Elena now, he felt nothing. He didn't even feel any kind of regret for having dumped her so quickly after Letty's return without so much as a conversation. They had never been that serious, both of them fully aware of that. Their relationship had been more of a convenience, two people having lost someone they loved. Yet that didn't mean that it couldn't have become something deeper in the future, if Letty hadn't shown up.

"When Jack was born... the first time I saw him," he began, "all I thought about was you," his look searching for her eyes. "It wasn't Elena, Letty, it was _you_ … Having that with _you_ … _Wishing_ I could still have that with _you_."

"You could've."

"What?"

"I said, you could've. You could've had that with me, but you ruined it. If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have–," Letty stopped mid sentence. If he knew what his actions had caused her to do, he would probably feel even guiltier for what he had done. Or maybe he would be angry at her. Right now she really couldn't tell how he would feel.

"What do you mean?" Dom asked, getting up from the bed he still had been sitting on and walked a few steps into her direction.

"Nothing, Dom. Forget it," Letty denied him an answer.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" he frowned, wondering if he just failed to read her correctly or if she really was hiding something from him.

"You were saying?" Letty just said, not making any attempt to respond to him. There _was_ something she wasn't telling him, something quite important, but she wouldn't reveal that now and make the whole situation even more difficult. She wasn't sure if she should ever tell him anyway. Maybe some things were better left unsaid even though they could change everything.

 _Fine_ , Dom thought when she ignored his question, and after a moment of silence between them went on to explain to her, "Elena and kids... It never crossed my mind, but– but I wanna be honest with you, it _could_ have. That thought _could've_ crossed my mind someday and I'm sorry." He really was. "I mean, sometime in the future when I– _If_ I had loved Elena, like really loved her, then I don't _know_ what I could've wanted for our relationship, Letty."

Dom massaged his scalp, feeling the need to just do something. Should he even continue? Hadn't he said enough? Probably so, but wasn't it better to just get the whole truth out and not leave anything between them unsaid? It was all for the sake of their marriage; for getting passed this and start anew. He didn't want to have to talk about this ever again. What he wanted was to take the chance to wipe the slate clean and begin all over. It would be such a relief to free himself of everything he had done her wrong in the past.

"When I–" He had to push himself to be honest, prepared himself for the emotional outburst his words would cause, because there was no doubt this would leave its mark on her, hopefully not forever. "If Elena would've gotten pregnant by any chance... by accident... I would've loved that baby very much. You know me. You know how much family means to me. I can't lie to you about that."

"Stop, Dom, okay? Just stop!" Letty erupted with anger, yelling at him again – unsurprisingly to Dom.

She had wanted him to be honest; she just hadn't imagined him to be _that_ honest. She didn't know how to handle all of this, how to process everything she had just learned about his and Elena's relationship. She knew it hadn't been anything serious, not compared to what she had with him, but hearing about his thoughts on a possible future with Elena was a totally different story.

Letty looked at him, and while there was pain in her eyes, her posture was that of someone about to go full force against his greatest adversary with bare hands. Dom stared back at her, his eyes showing regret, hurt – Letty couldn't really tell, but one thing was for sure, he looked incredibly sad. He had no right to be sad or to be hurt, though. She on the other hand had every right.

"Please, listen to me," Dom pleaded strongly, as he came to stand right in front of Letty.

He could see the stress brewing inside her like a storm and he knew he needed to choose his words wisely, if he didn't want her to become even more furious with him. Bringing his hand to her hair, he ran his fingers through the long, dark tresses and sighed deeply, but before Dom could make another move, his palm was slapped away.

"Don't fucking touch me, Dominic," Letty spit at him, "Or I swear to God, I will–"

"Okay, Letty, I got it. It's okay," Dom quickly pulled back his hands and stepped away from her to give her some space. "Do you want me to–"

"I'm sorry, I– Is everything okay in here?" Mia had opened the door a crack and her head was peeking through it. "I heard you screaming and–"

"We're _fine_!" Letty hissed, visibly still in Hulk mode, her face red with anger and her body all tensed up.

"Yeah, we're good, Mi. You can go," Dom said with a caring look and a weak smile, trying to apologize to his little sister for his wife's angry behavior. When Mia disappeared, Dom turned back to Letty, searching the mess inside his head for words. "Baby–"

"Don't 'baby' me," Letty cut him off. "Just don't." She pressed the heel of her hands to her eyes, pushing the tears out of them so they didn't fall on her cheeks where Dom could see them. She tried to calm down, breathing in deeply, but it wasn't that easy, because she was just so mad at him. And then there was this one part of her that felt the need to just go up to him, hug him and get lost in his embrace.

"So you're telling me, you would've had kids with her hadn't I–"

"I'm telling you that none of it matters, because you came back and nothing– You hear me? _Nothing_ happened with Elena," Dom spoke, trying to look her in the eyes. "I was with her, but not like that. Not like you and me, like– We had a thing, Letty. Just a thing. No deep feelings, no babies, no future, no nothing. We just had us. And I was fine with that. I didn't– I settled for a consolation prize, 'cause I had lost my trophy." There was no other way to put it.

Letty could feel Dom staring at her, but she didn't look at him. Instead she stared at the cross hanging around his neck, the necklace that meant so much to both of them – their wedding ring. Maybe what had happened between him and Elena, what Dom and her had had or didn't have had, really didn't matter anymore, because they were finally reunited. Maybe she shouldn't worry about that anymore. But Letty still felt betrayed by hearing about how serious he thought that _thing_ with Elena could've gotten. She couldn't shake this feeling off.

"You know what I wanna do to that woman right now?" Letty asked him, not expecting an answer.

Elena was without a doubt a very nice person, kind and beautiful inside and out. That just made it a lot harder to hate her. In this moment, however, hating her felt so easy. Letty knew she wouldn't hurt her physically, if she and Elena were in the same room together, but just thinking about crushing that perfect body and scratching that perfect face made Letty feel better. She didn't care if that made her a bad person.

"I have a feeling, yes... And I'm glad she's miles and miles away," Dom answered anyway, even showing a little grin. "She's not the one you should be angry with, though. _I_ am," he then mentioned, studying her, as he tried to find evidence of any sign of anger in Letty's face.

Was she still that furious with him? Since it didn't look that way to him, Dom decided to risk another move. He took a step forward, grabbed Letty's hand and just waited a second to see if she did anything to stop him – Letty shoved him as hard as she could. Stumbling against Mia's bedside cabinet, Dom almost lost his footing. Deeply agitated by Letty's reaction, he made every effort to keep his composure. How many times had she been angry at him? Too often to count. But never had she acted so violent.

"I said... Do not... _touch_ me!" Letty repeated, not as forcefully this time but with her voice raised, and looked at Dom. Seeing the expression on his face, she regretted having been so harsh for a moment, because whether he deserved this or not, he was still her man.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on her love for Dom instead of the anger she felt towards him. He had to know that she was only like that, because she loved him so much. If she didn't love him that much, she wouldn't be this way. She wouldn't care, feel hurt, be so angry. Dom had to see that, because right now she simply couldn't find the words to let him know.

"Letty, I want you– I _need_ you to forgive me," Dom emphasized, his voice almost breaking.

He sighed as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Was this the beginning of the end? Had he been a fool to believe that everything could just go back to normal with them? Maybe he should've never been this honest with her, but lying to her surely wasn't the better option. He could only hope that once they figured this out they could forget all about it and focus on each other, focus on their marriage.

"But this isn't something you can bandage with a word or two," Letty countered with a lot less rage in her voice.

All this fighting wouldn't get them anywhere. She had to admit that. And she really wanted to find a way to work this out, she just didn't know how. Not in this moment. Everything seemed so difficult, so hard to overcome. She felt like she had reached a blind alley and there was no light to guide her, to help her find her way out. Her light in life had always been him, but right now, Dom was the very reason why she couldn't see anything. She wasn't thinking rationally, her vision clouded by all kinds of emotions.

"Dom, I don't think I can do this... right now. I thought I could, but–" Her voice cracked, as tears started rolling down her face. She quickly brushed them away with the back of her hand, sick of all the crying.

"So you wanna end this?" The sadness in Dom's voice was huge.

Feeling like someone had just put a knife through his heart, twisting and turning it so that it hurt as much as it could, he wanted to cry. He didn't want them to be over. He needed her, wanted her, _loved_ her. He could never be without her ever again. Didn't she know? Hadn't she realized by now that he was only really alive when he was with her? Without her, he was just an empty shell, trapped in a world without colors, a world without joy.

"Of course not. God, no!" Letty was shocked he even thought of that, but couldn't really blame him given the way she behaved right now. "Dom, I told you I would never– I'm hurt. _You_ hurt me, but I don't want us to be over, I just–" Letty felt so frustrated she couldn't even speak for a few seconds.

As she looked at him, she saw his eyes had filled with tears. He had to be as sick of crying as she was, because they both hardly ever cried. But it just showed how much they were affected by all of this, how deep these issues touched them and how much they wished for things to be different; that they didn't have to talk about any of it and could just forget it had ever happened – if only that was possible.

"Letty, I don't care about Elena," Dom put it simply. "And I don't wanna think about what could've been, 'cause I don't wanna waste as much as a thought on my past with her when I have the rest of my life ahead with you." He looked at her, thinking. "And I didn't even know you wanted kids. I mean, I wasn't sure if you'd ever–"

"What difference does it make, if I want kids or not?" Letty retorted sharply. "This isn't about that. This is about _you_ and _Elena_... and _me_." She paused, feeling yet another wave of anger washing over her. "Hell, I told your dad twenty years ago that you'll turn one of those skanks into a mother if he doesn't look out for you. And you know what? You could have a _bunch_ of them running around right now, I don't _give_ a _shit_!"

Once those words had passed her lips, Letty was sorry to have said them, but was too caught up in her anger to tell Dom that she didn't mean it like it sounded; like so many things she said when she was angry. She noticed how Dom's expression changed like someone had just given him the worst news of all time. He looked like he was about to break down, sob his heart out, and Letty wasn't exactly sure he wouldn't.

Feeling kind of numb inside, Dom tried telling himself that whatever she said now wasn't how she really felt. It hurt a lot to hear her say these things, but it wasn't like he couldn't understand why she was so infuriated with him. He decided to ignore her comment although he knew Letty could see in his face that he had certainly noticed it.

"I feel like we're running around in circles here," he noted quietly, as he launched himself off the cabinet to stand upright again. "You said you don't want us to split, and I'm definitely here to stay, so please tell me what I can do to make this right again, Letty. I'd do anything."

Dom squeezed his eyes shut and pinched hard on the bridge of his nose before he opened them again to gaze at her. She could be angry with him all she wanted, but at least he wasn't withholding the truth from her. He had told her everything while she apparently kept something important from him that she wouldn't disclose.

"You want a break? Take a timeout? Because I really want you to _want_ me," Dom declared. "I want you to want this... Us... I want you to be in this with me one hundred percent, like you've always been. Ride... or die." He gave her a minute to let the words sink in before he continued to speak his mind.

"I don't want you to think that you have to– We're married, but you made it very clear that I broke your heart, so if you feel like this isn't doing you any good– like I– I just don't want you to look at me and feel hurt. I don't want you to look at me and be reminded of everything I fucked up. If it's that bad, Letty– I mean, if I hurt you _that_ much, then I'd rather– I'd rather let you go then putting you through all this."

"I'm sorry for what I said... about the skanks," Letty apologized first before saying anything else to him, and Dom was a bit surprised to hear her speak so gently when all she had been doing the last few minutes was shout. "I _do_ care," Letty told him. "I mean, I'm glad you ain't got a kid with one of these–"

The more she thought about it the more she felt like she wasn't just mad at him for thinking about the kid he didn't have had with Elena, but mad at herself for what she had done. She hadn't known how guilty she felt until now; now that she really felt it. And she hadn't known how much she had actually been keeping to herself. All this time while being back with him, with the family, she had let the what-ifs slowly eat her up inside instead of standing up for herself, confronting her own fears, and asking him about those things he could give her an answer to.

What would've been if Dom had really loved Elena? What if she had shown up a few years later? Would they have had a family? What if she had never remembered her old life or only parts of it? Would he even have told her anything about it? What if he had never left her in the Dominican Republic? What if she had never gone to Brian, making the decision to bring down Braga? What if she had just been more careful? And what if she hadn't taken from Dom the _one_ thing that could've made him come home?

"Dom, I don't feel– Of course I feel hurt or angry when I look at you... people _do_ that sometimes," she argued, sighing. "But most of all... I feel loved." For the first time in a long while, Letty was the one moving closer to him, her body just a few inches away from Dom's. "I don't want you to let me go," she whispered and cupped his cheeks, the face that was so compelling, so stern, so arrogant sometimes, now vulnerable in the extreme.

Letty stroke his skin softly, so softly no one would've ever guessed that just a few minutes ago she had pushed him violently away from her. Dom closed his eyes, feeling her touch, feeling the need to just let his tears fall down and not hold them back anymore. He sensed Letty wiping them away with her fingertips and when she ran a thumb across his lips, he opened his eyes and met her gaze. The toll this conversation had taken on her remained visible on her face. And in that same whispering voice, she begged of him, "No matter _what_ I feel, don't ever let me–"

"I won't," Dom cut in, the tears in his eyes blurring his vision.

He had let her go once and he still felt the huge impact of that decision. There was no way he would ever do a stupid mistake like that again. No matter how hard it was going to be to get back on track, they both obviously wanted the same – each other. That was the only thing he needed to know to do anything in his power to make things right with her again. Nothing else mattered to him. Only she did. She was his ride or die forever.

"Can I touch you now?" he asked, and even though it was meant as a joke, Dom didn't laugh. He didn't even grin. He just looked at Letty teary-eyed, hoping she would allow him to get close to her again. All he got was a small nod from her but that was all he needed to know.

His hands cradled her face, tilting her head to get a better angle, as he began to kiss Letty's tears away, which only made more erupt in their place. Rubbing his nose on hers, her tears mixed with his own. They both sobbed at the same time and Dom couldn't help but smile weakly at the fact that they had never before shown themselves so vulnerable to each other. It was a rather beautiful thing to notice in a moment that was filled with so much pain. They would always connect on a much deeper level than they let people see.

"We'll be okay, Letty, I promise," he whispered against her lips, wiping his own tears off her face before kissing her softly. "I love you."

Dom's voice sounded thick with emotion, so thick he was surprised it didn't choke him on the way out. He looked at Letty and was happy to see her smile reach her ears. That had to be a good sign, a sign that she believed they could work this out. They would figure this out. He just knew they would, because their love was enough to get them move forward, come what may. They had already been through so much, this was just another obstacle; a big one, for sure, but one that they could overcome. It would only make them stronger and deepen their relationship.

"I love you too," Letty said in a hushed voice, lifting her head to see in Dom's eyes. She kissed him again and as she let go of his lips, hers wore a little smirk. "God, we're such cry babies," she stated, almost bursting into laughter.

"Ha-ha," Dom laughed, "I told you, no one needs to know about this."

Grinning, he stared into her eyes as he ran a hand through her hair and pushed it behind her ear to keep it out of her face. He watched her lips curled up into a smile and he just had to feel them again. So he placed another kiss on her mouth, making sure it lasted longer this time while he circled his arms around Letty to lock her in his embrace. He pulled her close, not wanting to miss an inch of her body pressed against his.

They smothered each other with kisses until Dom backed off to address one final thing that had been on his mind ever since last night when they had gone to bed without talking to each other, because she had decided not to speak anymore, even been crying. And now that she had sent out that cryptic message he didn't know how to decode, he felt like there was even more Letty wasn't telling him. He had no idea what it was.

Dom knew asking her about it could change everything between them again, could ruin the moment now that they had finally reconciled, but he didn't want to act like her, didn't want to keep wondering day in and day out when he could just try to find out and get it out of her. There had to be a way to make her tell him and maybe that wasn't even as difficult as he thought it was.

"Can I ask you something?" he started, feeling anxious about what destination he was heading to. Either she would bite his head off or she would cry again. He didn't know, and he wasn't very keen on finding out, but he needed an answer to keep his mind from going crazy. They had already talked about so many things, this would just be another issue they could trash out – or so he hoped.

"Yesterday... when I mentioned... kids... Did you cry 'cause you don't want them or... 'cause you can't have them?" Dom put his thoughts into words. "Or are you just scared of becoming a mom and afraid of telling me? Because I can handle that, okay? I know you. I know how much that thought might freak you out. You don't have to be–"

He noticed how the expression on Letty's face turned to stone. She freed herself from his embrace by stepping back, that's when Dom knew this would be more than 'just another issue.' He could see in her eyes that by bringing it up he had only scratched at the tip of the iceberg. There was a dark secret underneath the surface, so dark indeed that she herself seemed to prefer for it to never be revealed.

"What is it you're not telling me? And don't say you're fine, Letty, 'cause I know you too well to see that you ain't," Dom kept pushing her. The tone in his voice had changed. It wasn't as gently as it had been, like he just wanted to know, but a lot more demanding, like he _needed_ to know and wouldn't stop until he did.

"You _really_ wanna talk about babies now?" Letty lipped off, like he had been insulting her.

"No, but I _really_ wanna know what you're hiding," Dom said, calmer now. Piercing her with his eyes, he hoped that she wouldn't duck out again. He was actually tired of this subject, at least for today, but he had every right to believe that what she had to tell him was something serious, something he not only needed but _deserved_ to know.

"I was pregnant," Letty said without hesitation, letting out a deep breath as the secret she had carried for years was finally lifted off her chest. She had tried resisting him, resisting that look he gave her, but it was hopeless. She was still too upset. She didn't have the strength to fight him on this, not right now. She was completely worn out and so she had chosen to just give in, to give up and tell him, because frankly, he had every right to know.

As her words sank in, Dom's mouth fell open in shock. His hands fell down to his sides like two weights. His shoulders slumped. He felt like he could barely stand on his own two feet, so he grabbed hold of the bed post and tried steadying himself. The thought that he could've been a father by now, could've been a father to Letty's child, made him feel so heavy he feared he could break through the floorboards. Letty knew what she had done the minute Dom locked eyes with her again, his face nothing like it had been before.

When she had remembered what had happened, she had looked exactly like him, deeply shocked, devastated, like someone had sucked the life out of her. She had been through a lot trying to cope with reliving this memory as it had come back to her, haunting her. She had thought about telling him. She hadn't, because things between them had been complicated enough as they were. She had been scared, scared of what might've happen to them and their relationship. And that wasn't even all there was to it.

"What... happened?" Dom tried to speak, visibly still in shock. "Did you... lose it?"

He felt sick to his stomach just thinking about the loss she could have suffered. What if she hadn't even told his sister about it and then had to go through it all alone? What if he was the very reason why she had lost it, because of all the stress and heartbreak he had put her through? Had she lost it during her time with Braga or before that? Dom had so many possible scenarios in his head, it was hard sorting through them, like which one could even be a reality and which one of these were just a fabrication of his inner turmoil. All he knew for sure was that everything had just changed; his whole life been turned upside down.

"No, I– I didn't." Letty took one last, deep breath before she told him, "I decided not to have it.


	10. Carry the Blame

**A/N: Your reviews were so rewarding for all the effort I put into writing that last chapter. Thank you so very much! It's really exciting for me to read how you react to new twists and turns in the story.** **I hope this one won't disappoint.  
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 **Flashbacks start and end in italics.**

 **P.s. Val, I can't get back at you directly, but I'm absolutely loving your reviews. You make me laugh and smile (and think!). So sweet! Thanks!**

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 _"No, I_ – _I didn't." She took one last, deep breath before she told him, "I_ – _I decided not to have it."_

Letty hadn't shared this info with anyone. No one had known that she had been carrying a baby inside of her. Now she carried the blame for what Dom was feeling, because although she still thought she had made the right decision not to have it, she also felt like she should've let him know sooner. It was really painful having to look into Dom's eyes, right through to his broken heart. And that pain would only become worse once things between them started to get heated again. She knew it would.

"You did _what_?!" Dom said in utter disbelief, feeling like a space had opened up within him, expanding so rapidly it would break him apart; like he was wrapped up in skin too tight to wear. And this feeling didn't go away, it only got stronger. Every second that passed, it was like her words sank in more; deeper and deeper, like blades cutting slowly into his body. It was that kind of pain he had felt when Mia had told him that Letty had been murdered. He thought he'd never feel this way again. Now, he almost felt worse.

Letty knew Dom was pissed at her, even though he didn't look angry yet. He had to be. He had always been a family man, had always imagined becoming a father one day. He didn't have to say it out loud. She knew he wanted to have not just one kid, but at least two, and so the decision she'd made had crushed his dream. For now, that is. There was no way he took that lightly. He _had_ to have a seething anger grow within him.

She approached him slowly, but as soon as Dom noticed what she was doing, he started walking past her, turning his back to Letty. He had sensed that she had wanted to get close to him, touch him. But he didn't want it. He couldn't. And not just because he was angry with her for keeping that baby, the abortion, a secret from him. It was because he knew that if he touched her, she would work that crazy magic spell on him and make him forget how mad he was. He wouldn't allow her to have that power over him.

As mad as he was, he tried his best not to flip out on her. But still, Dom could feel his rage seeping and it was extremely hard fighting against the need to just explode. Maybe, he thought, if he didn't look at Letty then it would be easier, easier for him to not yell at her. He needed time to recollect himself, to catch his breath and process this. She had some nerve dropping a bomb like that on him. He would probably need months to recover from it.

Walking up and down the room like a wild animal in its cage, Dom felt Letty's eyes on him as though she expected him to notice her. Letty watched him, sighing deeply. If she had learned something in all these years they'd been together then that this clearly wasn't a good sign. He always did that – moving like a caged animal – when he tried keeping his emotions in check. She honestly preferred to see him jump out of his skin right now rather than later. Letty could handle his anger way better than his taciturnity. In that respect, they were a lot alike.

"Before Braga, I was–" Letty started to explain herself, hoping he would hear her out before going off on her. "That thing you did... Leaving me... Disappearing... I was in a bad place for weeks... _months_. I just– I didn't tell anyone, Dom. I only–" She swallowed hard. "You were the _only_ one I wanted to tell and you weren't there. You promised you'd be there, but you weren't. You just... weren't."

Dom didn't get it. He could've been a father now. He and Letty could've had a little family of their own. How could she have had the audacity to ruin that? Maybe she thought that he didn't even have the right to blame her for what she had done since he had left her, alone and pregnant, and maybe that was true, but damn, he was so disappointed and angry with her for having made that decision – a decision that wasn't just hers to make.

"So you killed our baby?" Dom hissed, still not looking at her.

"I didn't kill it for God's sake," Letty retorted, slightly annoyed with his attitude. "I just _knew_ I wouldn't be able to be a good mother to him... or her. With you gone, how was I supposed to bring up a child? You know me better than anyone else. You know I can't _possibly_ take care of a baby alone. It scared the _shit_ outta me... thinking about all the responsibility I'd have and how much that little person would need me to be there for it... one… hundred... percent."

 _"Miss Ortiz, are you alright?"_

 _"It's Toretto, dammit," she hissed more to herself than to the person standing on the other side of the door._

 _Her gynecologist was just as used to her maiden name as she was, but, officially, she was a Toretto and she wanted to stick to that name even though her husband had decided she was better off without him. She still couldn't get her head around why Dom had done something so cruel to her, to the person he loved, the person he had married. They had been so very happy. But the pain inside was a constant reminder that she would never get this feeling back for as long as he was gone._

"Just a minute," Letty called out and with trembling hands, she turned on the faucet, scooped up the water and splashed it over her face.

Lifting her head, she sighed as the heavy weight of her long hair fell down her back. She ran her fingers through the thick strands and massaged her scalp. She would rather be bald than live another moment with the lie that crowned her. She yelled out in frustration and anger. Everything was a lie. Everything she had believed in was a lie. Dom, her marriage, her own strength – she didn't even believe in herself anymore. Everything she had been, most notably strong and independent, he seemed to have destroyed when he'd left her.

Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Letty wondered what _he_ was looking at right now. Maybe the sea or a fancy car. Or maybe, he had already found a skank to keep himself busy with and _she_ was who he was looking at at this very moment. Maybe Dom wasn't feeling as lost and cold as she did. Maybe he had a pretty great time right now, drinking beer, fixing a car or fucking some girl's brains out. She didn't know. She just didn't know what to think or how to feel about him.

Letty remembered the texture of his skin and the feel of his nape against her fingers the last time they had been together when she had stroke his neck as he drifted off to sleep. She remembered the solid strength of his broad shoulders and the flexing muscles in his arms and how it felt to be hugged by him from behind. She could even feel his breath on her skin in the same way she had felt it so many times in the past when he had whispered sweet words into her ear, words that made her melt.

Moving into the full reflection, she tilted her head to the side. Her wavy dark hair fell forward around her face. Her large hazel eyes, a bit puffy from the tears she had shed just a few minutes ago, blinked back at her. Frankly, she looked like shit, but she wasn't here to win a model contest. She was here, because she had made a decision. For herself but also for the life she carried inside. It was one of the toughest decisions she had ever had to make.

She had thought about having the baby at first, but it hadn't felt right. It didn't feel right to bring a child into this world with a broken heart and a husband on the run. Not a day went by that she didn't think of Dom, didn't feel like crying and didn't wish that she could just rip her heart out and stop having to feel this way. She could hardly keep it together. How could she ever be strong enough for that baby, if she didn't even have enough strength right now to get herself through a day without breakdowns?

She didn't know the first thing about being a mother, and without Dom's love and support she just knew she wouldn't be able to give her child the life it deserved. If she did this, _if_ she became a mom, then she didn't want to be on her own. She didn't want her child to grow up without a father and with a mother who was too heartbroken to be there for it. She had seen what that could do to a child when her own mother had treated her like crap, because of a broken heart that had never fully healed.

She had wanted to tell Mia, but in the end, would that even change anything? Her life was a mess right now, Dom's life was a mess too – well, she didn't really know what kind of life he was living right now, but if he still hadn't asked Mia how she was then that could only mean that he was still on the run and didn't want her around. It didn't make a difference whether she told someone or not. It didn't change the fact that this pregnancy was bad timing. She wasn't ready. She just wasn't ready. And if her heart hadn't already been broken, that fact surely would've shattered it.

Looking down, Letty put her hand on her flat stomach. "I'm so sorry, baby," she whispered, taking in a sharp breath as she felt herself losing control of her emotions again. "Mommy loves you very much," she sobbed quietly. "But I can't be a mom right now. I _can't_. I _can't_ do this without your _daddy_."

This wasn't what she had pictured life to be when she had married Dom. What had she even turned into, standing in front of a mirror in a doctor's office's bathroom, talking to a fetus? She felt awful. She was an emotional wreck. She needed to be her old self again, but that was easier said than done. At this very moment, it seemed impossible. And as soon as she'd be done with this and would've taken this step, she knew she would _never_ be the same again even if she _could_ get back to being the Letty she once was, before it all happened.

 _She wiped the tears off her cheeks, straightened her clothes and sighed deeply. 'You're doing the right thing,' she told herself over and over again as she went outside and approached the examination room. But why did it feel so wrong to do the right thing? She had never thought of herself as a mother, though it wasn't like she didn't want this baby. She wasn't doing this out of spite. She wasn't doing this, because she didn't want to have that child. She was doing this, because things simply weren't what they should be if she was to bring new life into this world._

 _Her baby, the baby she would maybe have one day, deserved more. More from life itself, from her and most of all from its father._

"I just wasn't ready," Letty admitted after a moment of silence. "You were gone and I was a mess. I didn't know when you'd be back, _if_ you'd ever come back, so I did the one thing I knew was right and... I'm sorry if you think I should've fought for it, but I didn't have the _strength_ to fight." She paused, thinking that, technically, she _did_ fight for her child, just not in a way that Dom appreciated. "You know, this baby... It reminded me of you... of what we had and that all of it was gone. I couldn't keep it. I couldn't keep it knowing I couldn't even keep _you_... I tried to keep you from running away, but you disappeared and I–" Blinking back tears, Letty sighed. "I had _nothing_ to give, Dom, because you took _everything_ from me."

Letty didn't turn her face away from him for a second. He was finally looking at her and she wanted him to see, she _needed_ him to see in her eyes that she had made that decision out of love, not hate. As much as she had loathed him for leaving her, she had never stopped loving him the way she did. And she had loved this baby; too much to give birth to it knowing it was going to be born into a world that was ruled by uncertainty, doubts and painful memories.

"I just wanted this baby to have something. To have _everything_ ," she cried out. "If you had seen me– If you had seen what I was like– Did Mia never tell you that I barely left our room for three days straight after I was back?" Letty wondered. "That I put up against every bad street racer out there, because the adrenaline gave me something to _live_ for? I was _dead_ inside, Dom. I just wanted to feel alive again," she explained. "And our baby couldn't have changed anything about that. It would've needed me to be there for it, but I– _I_ needed someone."

Letty tried approaching Dom once more and when she got to him she grabbed his wrist, hoping he would allow her to touch him now. Dom did, but he didn't move. His face was expressionless like the stone statues in the Capitol and yet Letty believed to see something in his eyes that spoke volumes about his feelings. Her thumb caressed the back of his hand. She noticed how Dom winced at the gentle touch of her finger on his skin. And then the expression came back to his face as a tear slipped down his cheek.

" _I_ needed someone to be there for me," Letty repeated in a low voice.

She had never been suicidal or anything like that, nothing could ever make her become that kind of a person, but if Mia hadn't been pushing her, she would've stayed in that dark place much, much longer than she had had. It was a place she knew she would never have to go back to, because she would never have to be without Dom ever again, would never have to feel that kind of pain again, but it was still a scary place to remember. If she could somehow erase that memory she probably would.

"If your sister hadn't– She saw me crying... struggling... and she– Mia gave me the courage to get back up again. She kicked my ass and God knows I needed that," Letty continued, still holding Dom's hand. "I started doing stuff, you know, like fixing cars for people, helping Mia around the house, just doing something... meaningful… something that wouldn't kill me. I even looked into school... college."

Dom's eyebrow went up and despite everything she felt, despite all the sadness and frustration, Letty had to laugh out loud. "I know, right? Me and college... Ridiculous!" She spotted a little smirk on Dom's lips. It vanished as quickly as it had appeared, but she was happy that for one moment, for just a second, it had been there.

"That one time Braga was all over the news. I remembered some guy at one of the races talking about him and I knew right away that he was my ticket to get you home," she recalled the past. "It was the only thing I could think of. I knew you would come home, if I– So I started fixing your damn car, day in day out. I wanted it to be ready for when you get back. Then I went to see Brian and I made him an offer. He tried to talk me out of it, but he knew he needed me... and I needed him, so I got him to shut up and we made a deal."

She remembered what Brian's face had looked like when he had seen her leaning against his car in the parking lot. And she could very well remember how conflicted he had seemed when she had offered him to bring down Braga in exchange for Dom's name getting cleared. He'd probably sensed where that operation could lead to and what the outcome would mean for her family, Dom and Mia. And it wasn't like Letty, too, hadn't thought about the fact that her plan might not work out, but for the first time in months, she had felt something real inside. Something that wouldn't just be there for a moment and then gone, like the adrenaline rushes she had gotten from street racing, but that actually lighted a beacon of hope that her heart could heal. She couldn't give this feeling up and she had known she was making Brian an offer he couldn't refuse, no matter how much he wanted there to be another way.

"When Brian put me undercover, I finally felt like myself again, like I was going to be okay, because you would come back soon," Letty tried putting her thoughts into words, "and I–I knew that what I was doing was dangerous, but it just made me feel _so_ good, so _alive_. I had all this energy and it was– I thought I'd never see you again, I really did, but in that moment, I felt– I got my old strength back. _I_ was back. The Letty you know… The one that kicks ass and fights… and gets back on her feet when she's knocked down… _That_ Letty was back. But before that I was– I couldn't keep the baby, Dom. I wasn't strong enough, I just– I was just strong enough to do what I had to do."

Letty let go of Dom's hand slowly, unaware that she had been holding it all along. She didn't know if her explanations even made sense to him, and if he was getting why she hadn't been able to keep the baby, but she had no other way to tell him. If he didn't get it, then that was something _he_ had to deal with. She couldn't say that she regretted her choice just to make him feel better, because that simply was a lie. She was still convinced that she would have never been able to be a mother under those circumstances.

Dom tried listening to her carefully, but his mind was going crazy over what she had been trying to explain to him, over what she had done. His logical side pointed out that Letty's argument was one-hundred percent valid, but with his strong emotions in the mix, it was hard for him to even concentrate on anything reasonable. For the moment, he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Letty might've had her reasons and those might've made sense, but had she ever thought of the fact that it had been his baby too? Apparently not.

"Has it never crossed your mind that I would've come back right away had I known you were– Letty, I'd never abandon my child," he said, the last sentence scarcely audible.

"Maybe you would've come back, but you clearly didn't want me around, that's the only thing I was sure of. You didn't even call to ask about me. I don't know how many calls you had with Mia, _if_ you had any, but you never– She never came to me, saying you asked about me. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? How much that hurt? And think about it, what kind of life could we have given that baby? A life on the run?"

Dom stayed silent and looked at Letty as if to say that she knew she had done the wrong thing, she just didn't want to own up to it. He was sure that she felt some kind of regret for having aborted the baby, he just needed her to tell him that, so he could feel a little bit better at least. Letty wasn't a bad person, but she had made a decision that she had known would hurt him and he just wanted to hear an apology from her. Despite everything he had put her through, didn't he deserve one? He had apologized for his mistakes, so–

"Don't gimme that look," Letty noticed the way he was staring at her, visibly offended by it.

"What look?"

"You know which one." She took a step back to signal him that this look of reproach only created more distance between them. "The one where you look at me like I _know_ you have every right to act this way and I'm just not willing to admit that to you," she explained. "I don't care if you do this on purpose or if it's just the way you look at people when– Whatever. It's not fair and you know it, so stop fucking do that, man."

"Letty, I just–"

"Why am I even explaining myself to you when you don't wanna hear any of it? When you look at me like that, like I ruined your fucking life or something? I'm not even sure I owe you an explanation, because you should very well know why I did it. You don't _get_ to make me feel bad about this, because you... you weren't there." She took a deep breath to keep her countenance.

Of course she didn't feel good about this, but not for the reason he wanted her to. He wasn't the victim in all of this and the sooner Dom realized it the better. She wasn't the only one at fault and if he could just see this, they, as a couple, could start to heal. That wasn't possible as long as they kept shifting the blame on the other person. But unfortunately, her man was as stubborn as she was so it could take ages until they got to the point where they had made peace with this – and with each other.

"So you _don't_... regret it?" Dom questioned, feeling like that was what she was implying.

"Looking into your eyes and seeing how you feel, I'm not happy with what I did but I still think it was what I had to do. We _both_ made decisions we have to live with and no matter how much we might regret it, there's no turning back. You know that."

"Oh, so the DR... Is that what it's all about? That we're even now? I left you, you aborted the baby?"

"God, Dominic, stop being so cynical. You know it's not like that. I know you're hurt, but–" She always used his full name when she was mad at him or really wanted to get his attention, get him to listen. "Do you think this was easy for me? You think I _wanted_ to take this baby away from you, to… get rid of it? Well, I didn't, okay? It was _my_ baby. This wasn't– This really wasn't easy, Dom. It was hell!"

He had no idea what she had been going through. She may have told him a lot about that now, but he still couldn't possibly imagine what she had had to cope with back then. He hadn't been there, hadn't seen her barely making it through a day and he hadn't felt what she had felt. He had absolutely no right to judge her. Even though the baby had been his too, he had no right to blame her for what she had done when it all had happened, because of a decision _he_ had made.

"And what makes you even think you get to have a say in this?" she scoffed. "You're the one who broke me, so don't you dare judge me for how I decided to glue myself back together. Because what you did– You broke your vows when you left me and then you went off to Elena, and I _still_ don't know if you have been with any other skank before her. You were a shitty husband but–but I _forgave_ you. I forgave you for what you did to me. Don't you think I deserve the same from you? If you don't think that then–then I don't have any reason to _be_ here."

Letty saw the effect her last words had on him. Mussing up her hair by running her hands through it, she screamed with frustration. "Fuck!" Frustration at not being able to make him understand, frustration from the course her life had taken after her wedding, frustration at everything. Letty had shoved the loss of her baby down so deep, she'd almost convinced herself it had dried up, but now it filled her up so much she could hardly breathe. Tears welled up and slipped down her cheeks. She brushed them away quickly.

"What I did wasn't about getting even, you stupid idiot," she shouted at him, "I was doing the right _thing_!"

Letty watched him as he stood in front of her motionless. His eyes looked so sad she could barely keep eye contact. It was just too hard seeing him like that. Maybe they needed to butt heads in order to start from the beginning, start anew with a past that wasn't going to ruin anything if it caught up to them, because they had talked about it – all of it. Maybe their marriage had to be smashed to pieces so that they both could create something new from it, something that was going to last.

Fairly quickly, a silence settled between them. It was not a mutual silence, one of understanding and meaning, but a wall of silence. It was a silence which separated them, which parted them and sowed doubts in her. She wanted so much to believe that they would be able to overcome this, and she did believe that they could, but somehow she wasn't so sure anymore about what Dom wanted. If he couldn't forgive her, then she really didn't see a reason to stay with him, because he would always, always, hold it against her. She knew how he was. If he didn't allow himself to deal with this the right way, then it would never let him live his life in peace. It would always haunt him and eventually destroy him. And she wanted nothing more than for him to be happy – with her. She wanted them to be happy. Why couldn't they be happy?

"Please say something. _Anything_ ," Letty begged, her voice trembling. She had spoken so much while he had barely said a decent word in a long time except for accusing her of things. With him, that kind of silence usually wasn't a good sign – she ended up being right.

Dom took a few steps forward and then it went so fast she didn't see it coming. "I can't believe this," he shouted angrily and slammed his fist hard into the crib that Letty had put together for Mia's baby just over a while ago. Dom crashed it, mauled every piece of wood he could destroy with his bare hands and twisted the metal parts until there was nothing left. His anger was clearly related to feelings of disappointment and hurt, so Letty could handle it, though what she couldn't cope with was seeing all the pain in his beautiful big brown eyes. It was heartbreaking.

She studied his face as he stood in the mess he had made, breathing heavily while his muscles slowly relaxed. "You're bleeding," Letty noticed, as she saw blood dripping from his hand onto the floor. "Let me take care of that, please, Dom." She knew she could talk to him even when he was as furious as this. It reminded her a bit of that moment with Linder where he had almost beaten that guy to death. She had seen it, seen what Dom had done, but she knew, he would never hurt her physically, no matter how angry he was with her.

Dom stared at his hand and saw his knuckles bleed, but he didn't feel anything. What he did feel was that brutal pain inside, the one that had nothing to do with his hand. He tried to calm down and looked at her as though she could help him do it, knowing too well that looking at her wasn't exactly the best thing to do as _she_ was the one making his blood boil in the first place. But he didn't want to look away. No, he wanted to look her in the eyes and see something in them that could make him feel better.

"Please, Dom," Letty repeated. She thought about closing the gap between them, but didn't know how he would react to it, so rather stayed where she was.

Dom nodded, and without another word, Letty stormed outside to get the first aid kit from the bathroom. When she got back, he was sitting on Mia's bed, inspecting his injured hands. She sat down next to him and he raised his head to look at her. Letty saw that he looked a lot calmer, like he had at least found some kind of peace. But there still was a deep sadness in his eyes that made her feel like crying. She swallowed a sob, knowing tears would only make it worse for both of them.

She took one hand into hers and as she covered his wounds with the soothing ointment, Dom cringed. She couldn't help but smile at his reaction, yet she kept any kind of witty remark to herself. Now wasn't exactly the best time to tease him. She bandaged his hand, then took the other one where the injury was less severe and applied a plaster to his wounds. She placed a small kiss on the Band-aid and let go of his hand. When she looked at him, it was as though his eyes tried to say thank you for patching him up. His mouth, however, remained closed.

"At some point, you're gonna have to say some–"

"When did you know?" he cut her off just when she tried getting him to talk to her.

Letty should've known that he was going to ask that question sooner or later, but once he did and she recalled that particular moment in the past, it stung her like the bite of a hidden viper. She felt her heart drop like a stone to her feet and a tear came to her eye as the memory hit her. It was as though she could feel what she had felt back then. The shock, the helplessness, the anger and the hurt, and the despair, it was all there. She could feel it. Letty tried not making Dom see it, but if he just looked into her eyes he would know that she was struggling to keep herself together right now. Thank God, she had years and years of training, fighting the need to let her emotions show.

"I found out when I was back home. Soon after– I think I got pregnant just around the time we– Funny, huh? That you left me there but gave me something to stay with me?"

 _"Letty, you have to eat something. It's been almost three days and you've barely gotten out of your room. C'mon. Dom's gonna_ _kill_ _me, if I let you starve to death," Mia pleaded, standing in front of Letty's door, wanting the Latina to join her for breakfast._

 _"Like he even cares," Letty said bitterly, as she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "I'm busy!" she shouted, hoping it would make Mia leave so she could have her peace._

 _"With what? Crying your eyes out?" Mia scoffed, shaking her head in frustration._

As if dealing with a heartbroken person alone wasn't enough, she now also had Letty's head to deal with. She had never seen someone so stubborn. Even now when Letty could really use someone, a shoulder to cry on, she preferred to cope with it in her own way, meaning all by herself. She was aloof and evasive, and standoffish in her dealings with people that wanted to help her get through this time of heartbreak. In fact, Letty didn't even want to admit that she was heartbroken. It bothered Mia that her best friend did this, because she knew that Letty could be different. She knew that Letty could open up to her, if she wanted to. She just didn't right now. She didn't allow herself to show how hurt she was when Mia was around.

"Leave me alone!" Letty's voice sounded, louder and angrier this time.

She had just finished that sentence when a sudden wave of nausea brought a hand hard to her mouth. Getting up from the bed quickly, Letty opened the door and stormed through the hallway to the bathroom, passing Dom's sister. Mia wheeled round and walked in Letty's direction. When she heard puking noises from inside, her face turned to worry. _How can that girl throw up when she had hardly had anything to eat the last couple of days_ , Mia wondered. Something felt very wrong, and right now, Mia had more than just one explanation for Letty's behavior. Maybe it was wrong to think that, but even drugs came to her mind.

"Are you okay, Let?" Mia asked concerned.

She knew, just like she couldn't get her to lean on her, there was absolutely no way she would get any answers from Letty if her best friend didn't want to talk, She had managed to shut her out for days. Mia had thought about telling Dom, but he had made it very clear that she wasn't supposed to call him, no matter what was going on at home. But wasn't this like an emergency? Shouldn't she tell him when his girlfriend – or _ex_ -girlfriend – was losing it in a way that was alarming? She had never seen her like that. It really worried her. If she didn't call Dom, then at least she had to think of something to make Letty stop feeling sorry for herself and start living again. Mia had to kick her ass, so she'd wake up from this madness. If she did leave her room, it was only to participate in street races that could kill her. Letty certainly wasn't taking care of herself, so someone had to do it, and that someone had to be her – Mia.

"I'm fine!" Letty shouted from inside, and just a few seconds later, she opened the door.

"You don't look fine," Mia stated the obvious. She stared at the Latina, thought for a minute and then her mouth fell open in shock. Why had she ruled out the only possibility that seemed most likely? "Oh my God, are you pregnant?" _This might even be worse than drugs, though._ Mia just couldn't help thinking that the worst that could happen to Letty on top of having been left by her boyfriend was finding out that he had left her _and_ their unborn child. If becoming a mother didn't freak Letty out enough already, then becoming a _single_ mother surely would. Before Letty even said a word, Mia thought of ways to make this easier for her.

"What the fuck," Letty exclaimed. "No, I'm _not_. I'm not pregnant. God, I just feel sick. My stomach's killing me, okay? I'm not– Jesus, Mi, your brother and I– We don't do babies. And we're not going to, because he left and let's not pretend like he's gonna come back, so no, I am _not_ having a baby. You got that?" Mia could only watch, as Letty went back to her room and shut the door with a loud bang…

An hour later, the Latina stood in the bathroom with a pregnancy test in her hand, staring at herself in the mirror. Her pale reflection stared back at her. All she had to do was look down and she'd know. But now that it probably held an answer, she wasn't even sure anymore if she even wanted to find out. She was afraid, afraid of what the result may do to her, how it would affect her. Hadn't she been through enough?

"Please be negative," she mouthed.

Letty forced herself to look at the stick. Then it was as if she went into a trance. She stared at the pregnancy test for minutes without moving a muscle. Tears pooled in her eyes and quickly obscured the result. Two lines. Pregnant. She was going to have a baby. She was going to have _Dom's_ baby. And Dom wasn't here. She didn't even know where he was, what he was doing or how he felt. Everything about him was just wild guessing. This baby was a certainty now.

Letty swallowed hard and braced her hand on the sink as her knees quivered. That didn't help. She crumpled to the floor, her legs so weak she couldn't even support herself, and curled into the fetal position. Sure, she could've taken another test, things went wrong sometimes, but she couldn't ignore the signs she had been ignoring so effectively the last couple of days. The two blue lines were so blue. There really was no doubt in their existence. She was pregnant.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you, Dominic Toretto," she snorted but then the tears started to fall heavily and she just sobbed, wanting them to stop. "What am I gonna do now?" she cried out in desperation. "What the _fuck_ am I gonna do? What did you _do_ to me, you son of a bitch?"

Letty shouted, kicking against the bathroom cabinet with her feet. She lashed out with her leg like a battering ram, lashed out at literally anything that was within range, anything she could do damage to. Perfume bottles broke to pieces as they hit the tiled floor, tooth mugs and all kinds of sanitary products that had been put on the shelves spread everywhere. When Letty's anger finally subsided, it looked like a hurricane had wreaked havoc in the Toretto bathroom.

Releasing a frustrated breath, Letty ran her hands through her already tousled hair and sighed. She sat up, wrapped her arms around her legs and pressed her forehead to her knees. She tried to absorb her new reality, but she couldn't bear it. She couldn't bear the thought of having to go through all of this without the love of her life, her husband. If he'd be there, then he would tell her that everything was going to be alright; that no matter how scared she was of becoming a mother, it would be okay. He would tell her that they could do this.

Together.

But she was alone.

 _Wiping the tears off her cheeks, Letty looked at the mess she had made. If Mia had been home, she certainly would've kicked in the bathroom door by now, asking what had gotten in to her. The answer was simple: Dom. He was the one responsible for her misery. He had broken her. Now she had to pick up the pieces of what was left and glue herself together. Could she really do that with a baby on the way? Did she want to do that carrying a baby inside?_

 _Letty stood up from the ground and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked worse than before. She threw the pregnancy test away, but got it out of the trash bin right after. Mia was usually the one cleaning the room, so if she saw it– Letty preferred to destroy all evidence. Did she even want anyone to know? Did she want that baby? She had no idea, no answers, only a lot of questions making her head ache. She didn't have to decide anything today, but she wished she didn't even have to make that decision, any decision._

"It's not funny," Dom remarked.

"You know what I mean," Letty sighed, looking at him but he quickly turned his face away from her, staring down to the ground.

"How we're gonna get passed this, huh? Have you thought about _that_ when you had the abortion?" he let out after a short while, looking at her again.

He didn't want it to be this way, but he couldn't help being mad at her. And if he was really honest, he was even madder at himself, at his own stupid decision. It wasn't so much about what _she_ had or hadn't done, because truth was, if _he_ hadn't done what he had, if he hadn't left her in the Dominican Republic, they would've had a little kid right now. Maybe it wasn't all on him, but he certainly couldn't blame her alone.

"I don't know, Dom, but we–we can do this. You know we can. Please, just–" Letty heaved another sigh, deeper this time. "I just need you to understand that the decision I made was _for_ our baby... not _against_ it. I would never harm our baby. I would never do _anything_ to hurt our child, you know that."

"I don't know _what_ to believe," Dom sighed as he bent forward, burying his head in his hands.

"Yes you do," Letty told him, not thinking twice about wrapping her arms around his upper body. "You do, baby. You're just too hurt to see that." She caressed the back of his head with her hand while she held her face close to his, glancing at him from the side. "Look at me," she pleaded as she used her other hand to grab his arms and pull them down, so the expression on his face wasn't hidden anymore.

Dom felt exposed by her actions, but he let it happen. He let her hold his hand and let her fingers stroke his scalp. He allowed her to touch him. And he let his emotions free, not wanting to fight them, to hold back. He didn't close his eyes to hide the wet layer covering them and he didn't wipe those tears he had already cried off his cheeks. He was tired of arguing, tired of blaming her for something she had only done because he had left her.

He didn't know if they could get passed this so much so that he would be able to look back some day and show understanding not disappointment, but he wanted to try. He really wanted to fight for this relationship, for their future. Giving up just wasn't an option. Letty meant everything to him and he was grateful for any moment they got to be together even when it wasn't a happy one. Dom rather had these sad moments with her than having to live without them.

"I'd have your baby any time," Letty said, cupping his face when he met her eyes, "I just need it to be the _right_ time." She tried to smile, but failed miserably.

This was the first time she had ever given him an insight into what she could imagine their relationship to look like in the future. She wasn't planning on having a baby anytime soon, but if it happened, if she got pregnant again, would that even be such a bad thing? They were free to do what they wanted now. They had no enemies left, no jobs to do and enough money to get by. They were married. Together. She wasn't alone anymore. Dom was there.

"There was no room for a baby and I couldn't–I couldn't _make_ room. I needed to _breathe_ ," Letty made clear. "I needed... _you_."

"I just wish you hadn't– I wish you had told me," he sighed.

Dom caught one of her wrists and turned his head to press a kiss in her palm. As he did so, his eyes squeezed closed. If there was any way he could turn back time and change the past, undo what he had done to her, to _them_ , he would've taken that chance without thinking. What kind of life would they be having now had he not left her? She must've wondered that too.

"I wanted to. So _much_ ," Letty's words were barely audible.

"Then why didn't you?" he asked reproachfully yet not as angry as before but deeply grieved.

Dom opened his eyes and looked at her, still pressing her palm to his face. He rubbed it against his skin as if he savored the feel of Letty's touch. His anger had completely vanished as all he felt now was that overwhelming sadness inside. He was seized with remorse about everything bad his actions had led to. And he just couldn't wrap his head around the thing Letty had done because of him.

"This is all my fault," he thought aloud before Letty even had the chance to answer his question.

"No, it's not," Letty rejected his self-recrimination categorically, "Don't do that, Dom. Don't blame this all on you. Don't–"

With a finger beneath his chin, Letty tilted his face so it met hers and stared down into his sad eyes. Dom let go of her hand as he was forced to look at her, and he felt like no matter how much is heart was aching right now, his pain would soon be gone. Seeing that determined expression on her face just gave him hope that he could get through this, because she obviously thought they could.

"What?" he asked when she didn't say anything. "You wanna tell me that I'm _not_ to blame for this?" He tried not to sound too harsh. "Look, I appreciate that you wanna make me feel better, Letty, but you know I am. You know all of this wouldn't have happened, if I hadn't–"

"But I could've told you," Letty's voice cracked. "I should've– I mean I could've told Mia and she could've told you and–" She stopped talking, closing her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts. Then she shook her head weakly as though to deny the words she had just told him. "I had to do what was best for that baby," Letty continued, looking back at him. "And I don't wanna blame you, because I'm sick–"

She got up from the bed and let out a noise of frustration. It wasn't a scream like before, but it was loud enough for Dom to hear. She wouldn't be that naive to think this was the last time they would ever have a huge argument, a fight, but just for the moment, for as long as possible, she wanted it all to end. Why couldn't they just be happy for a while and enjoy being together without ruining it for themselves?

"I'm _sick_ of fighting with you. I'm _sick_ of blaming each other for the past when we–" She turned round to face him. "We have lost so much time being apart... Can we please just–" Letty sighed deeply. "Would you please just come over here and give me a hug, because I'm–" Letty looked at him with sad eyes, her heart aching for his touch. "I really need my husband to hold me right now, so please, Dominic Toretto, can you just stop blaming yourself and do that for me?"

Letty's words made tears roll down Dom's cheeks. Now he really knew what it meant to love someone so much it hurt. It hurt to know they were so broken yet so full of love for each other. He could not and did not wait very long before he launched himself off the bed and put his arms tightly around her. He closed his eyes and basked in the feel of his wife in his arms while he softly caressed her back.

Letty hadn't realized how badly she needed him in this moment until he surrounded her with his warmth. Throwing her arms around him, she clutched as tightly to him as she could while she cried into his neck. And she did just that for several minutes. But it weren't only tears of sadness. She also felt gratitude for being with someone who cared so lovingly for her as Dom did. She felt Dom's lips brushing over the side of her face, then heard him speak.

"I got you, baby," Dom said in a hushed voice as if those words were sacred.

He still felt hurt and disappointed by what she had just revealed to him, but whatever feelings he had, he needed to put them aside for a moment, because Letty obviously needed him. She needed him to make her feel better and he could only do that if he was focusing on her and what _she_ felt. Holding her, rubbing her back, he tried his best to comfort her. And it worked. Her crying died down. Her body heaved up and down in one last convulsive sob and then she just clung silently to him as if she had never wept.


	11. Where Do We Go From Here

**A/N: I'm thrilled you're loving this story so far.** ** **Thank you so much for all the kind words!** If you have anything you'd like to see, feel free to tell me. Maybe I can add that in at some point. As for this chapter, I only had parts of it written tbh because I wanted to fast-forward the story a bit, but I felt like it was important to kinda wrap up the talk before I continue. I just wanted them to have some peace. For now.  
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"I love it when you call me your husband," Dom whispered after a long while of not saying anything, smiling to himself. "I mean, I love _being_ your husband," he added, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Nothing you do will ever change that, Let, I promise."

Letty smiled against the warmth of his skin and breathed in his scent. Dom had the same natural smell about him that he had had when they had first hooked up. It still evoked the same response but tenfold. It was like an aphrodisiac she could hardly resist. It filled her, rich and masculine, clean and sexy. And then sometimes, it made her feel protected and comforted so much so that she just wanted to bask in his manly scent like one basked in rays of sunlight, simply just taking it in and enjoying the way it indulged her senses.

"We're pretty messed up," Letty muttered, shifting in his arms so she could see his face.

It seemed like all of Dom's anger was gone. His eyes still had tears in them, but the more time she had to study his face the more she got the impression as though he was in fact rather happy than sad. Letty figured it had to be because they had stopped arguing, at least for the moment. All that fighting was exhausting. Feeling Dom's hands around her back, holding him, was much better. It was exactly what they should do for the rest of the day – be close to each other. No more fights, no screaming.

"We've been through worse," Dom noted, releasing one arm to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You think?"

They had been through a lot, but Letty couldn't think of anything as bad as this. Sure, he had spent two years in prison while she had tried coping with the fact that she was in love with him, she had almost died and then lost her memory, but everything seemed like a walk in the park compared to the mess they had gotten themselves into now. They were supposed to be happily married and this didn't seem like a happy marriage to her. The only thing that really made Letty believe it _could_ be was the absolute certainty that they loved each other.

But when? When could they be really happy? Was this the start? Had they – with all of that fighting – just taken the first step towards a happier future for them? Dom looked at her firmly for an instant, and that firm look appeared to fuel all her hopes. Maybe they had. Even if she didn't agree with him and thought this was the worst kind of messed up they had ever been, it sure as hell didn't mean they weren't able to overcome this. With only one look of his, he made her feel like they could really get through anything.

"Letty, you have no idea how much it means to me that I get to do this. Fight with you... cry with you... or because of you," Dom argued. "I'd rather be fucked up with you than alone."

He had always hated being alone. And now life had taught him that there was nothing worse than having to be without her. He was glad that time was over. The simple fact of having his wife back with him was more important than all their issues and he had to let her know that. He rather fought for this relationship than not having one at all. Dom couldn't imagine Letty to feel any different. She had made it very clear that she'd be fighting for them for as long as he would, and he would be in this forever. Nothing could ever make him stop fighting.

"We might not be doing so good, but at least we're together," he said as he put his hands to the sides of Letty's face. Cupping her cheeks, Dom gave her a weak, reassuring smile. "And I'm sorry I judged you," he apologized to her. "I just–" He sighed deeply.

It was still very hard for him to process that she had had an abortion without him even knowing she had been pregnant. He knew he shouldn't have flipped out on her like that, but this had really hit him close to heart. It made him incredibly sad that she'd been carrying his child and had felt so lost without him that she had taken such a drastic step. Another thing on the long list of things he had to forgive himself. And he really needed to forgive _her_ too, because she didn't deserve to be blamed for this when he surely had done worse.

"I know you want a baby, Dom," Letty told him when his mouth remained closed. Her voice was low, not angry.

"No," he managed to get out. "I mean yes, I–" His arms fell down, holding her at the waist now, his eyes fixating the ground. Dom heaved another sigh.

True, he _did_ want to have a baby, but he didn't want Letty to think that he wanted a child more than he wanted them to be happy. That was his main priority – to work out all their issues so they could live a happy life. And if Letty didn't want kids, or if they chose to not have any or were unable to conceive children for whatever reason then at least they had been happily married. All he really wanted, and she had to know that, was to make her happy, because if she was happy then so was he.

"It's alright, you know. You can tell me," Letty said quietly. "I'm not gonna flip out on you or run off... Your grip's too tight anyway."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Dom quickly pulled his arms away, so they weren't in touch with her body anymore, and raised his head, looking at her as if he wanted to apologize.

"Dom, I was just kidding." Surprised by his reaction, Letty tried to stay calm, telling herself that they would stop acting like they were walking on eggshells or hot coals around each other soon. "You can– Give me–" Curling her fingers around his wrists where they manacled together and held his hands firmly, she slowly guided his arms back to her hips. "They're fine where they were," she smiled at him, happily noticing how his grip tightened and his hands slowly moved behind her back. She was locked in his embrace again.

"Why do I get so nervous around you," Dom wondered, and only realized that he had said it aloud when Letty released a small chuckle. He could feel his cheeks turn red with embarrassment.

"I guess you're scared to do the wrong thing... or say it?" At least that was how _she_ felt. Everything seemed so fragile between them right now that she was seriously worried one little thing, one small word, could tear them apart even more. She knew this feeling would pass, she just didn't know when. She had never thought of it like that, and it hurt having to admit it, but being around him had been a lot easier when she couldn't remember anything about herself or about him.

"I really am," Dom confessed, lapsing into a helpless chuckle, but there was no real mirth in it. He seemed desperate, desperate about not knowing how to cope with their difficult situation. "Aren't you?"

Letty nodded, as she put one hand on his cheek and caressed the soft skin with her thumb. She was just as scared as he was, but it helped to know that they both didn't want to let their fear of failure get in the way of this healing process they had just initiated with their honest conversations and those fights. It was important to keep being that honest, if they wanted to succeed. Even if they had to fight their way through and get into more arguments to heal, she was convinced it would only make them stronger.

"God, you look beautiful," Dom sighed when his eyes met hers.

"Stop that," Letty chuckled lightly, bending forward to bury her face in his shirt.

"Why," Dom asked, kissing the side of her head as she leaned it against his chest, breathing calmly.

"Because," Letty pulled back to look at him, "this is supposed to be a serious talk and you saying things like that makes–"

"You feel embarrassed?" Finally, Dom managed to show that he wasn't as sad as he appeared to be. He flashed her a grin that she was happy to receive. He could tell.

"It's distracting," she argued. "And a lie." Letty slowly rubbed her sore eyes and blinked several times. Her eyes burned, and she thought she was going to be sick for a moment. Thank God this seemed to have an end now. No more tears. "My eyes hurt from all the crying. I'm sure I look like shit." He was right, though. She did feel embarrassed sometimes to hear him say how much he admired her looks, but she would never really want him to stop. After all, she was a woman, and she certainly loved being adored by her man – by a man that had taken half a lifetime before he even acknowledged her existence; _really_ acknowledged, like she had wanted him to.

"You do _not_ ," Dom laughed softly. "And even if you did," he put his lips to the side of her neck, smothering it with light tender kisses, "you'd still look beautiful to me." He kissed her cheek. Twice. And again. It just felt so good to him to do that after all the fighting between them. "But to answer your question–"

"I didn't ask one," Letty remarked, feeling her whole body react to Dom's actions, craving more. She tried to focus, but his warm breath against her skin, the light touch of his lips on her cheek, seemed to baffle her senses. She was grateful that what had happened between them earlier couldn't keep him from still being that affectionate towards her.

"But to answer your question," Dom repeated, "Yes," he stepped back, looking at her. "I would love to have a baby... _your_ baby." For a second, he appeared a bit shy in admitting that. He tried to hide it with a weak smile. "And I really wish you hadn't– But– Letty, if you're not ready for it– If you'll never _be_ ready– If you don't want kids, it's–it's okay." Dom took her face in both hands, smiling through gritted teeth.

Letty couldn't help but to find it somewhat adorable how nervous he was, visibly afraid to say the wrong thing and piss her off. He really didn't want to hurt her and yet he wanted her to know that the baby she had aborted back then was the baby he wished to have now. Was he still disappointed in her, still felt betrayed? That's what she couldn't tell, but no matter if he was or wasn't, he seemed to want finding his peace with it.

"Dom, I–"

"Really, it's okay," he butted in. "I just want you... _us..._ to be happy. I don't care if it's with a kid or not."

"But you _do_ care," Letty's voice sounded frustrated, almost like she was in despair of not being able to share his sentiments. "You just told me."

She sighed deeply. Just minutes ago she had been sure they could handle a baby, because she was ready for it now – now that she was back with Dom – but the more she thought about it, the more it started to freak her out. What if she just thought she was ready to be a mom when she really wasn't? What if they were going to have a baby and she freaked out so much their relationship would fall apart for good? She couldn't risk losing Dom over a baby. But she couldn't risk losing Dom over not having one either. What was she supposed tell him?

"Letty, listen to me," Dom started, his voice so sharp it penetrated her ear drum so forcefully that she just couldn't turn her eyes away from him, even though she wanted to. " _You're_ the one I care about most in this world, and I'm sorry I made you doubt that when I left you." He paused, thinking. "I care about you more than I care about a baby and if you tell me that you don't wanna be a mom, then so be it. I just want you– I really want you to be happy with whatever decision you make." He stroke along her cheeks with both his thumbs. "And I want you with me. That's all I care about."

Letty looked him deep in the eyes and felt herself melting right before Dom's face. His touch, his look, his words, everything screamed 'I love you.' She knew she was probably just overthinking things. Why did she even care so much about the future? The present was too damn good to be poisoned by negative thoughts about what could happen. She needed to stop thinking and focus on what was already there. After everything they had been through, the future was theirs to create. They were back together, and right now, that was really the only thing that should matter to her. Anything else could wait.

"Can we just be married for a while and not think about babies?" Letty asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

"A while?" Dom raised an eyebrow, half-grinning.

"A _long_ while," Letty corrected herself, returning his almost-grin with one of her own.

"Well, in order to make a baby, we need to have sex first anyway." Dom laughed, and even though it didn't sound like he was holding that against her, Letty still felt his words stinging her.

She knew she wasn't supposed to be scared to give herself to him, to _sleep_ with him, but there still was the hurtful memory of the last time she had done that and she couldn't shake that feeling off – that feeling of excruciating pain when she woke up all alone after she had spent an entire night being so close to him. The last time she'd had sex with Dom was also the last time they had been together before she had lost more than just the memory of that passionate night.

"I'm working on that," she told him, trying to hide the sadness in her voice. He really had no idea how much she _actually_ wanted him.

"I know you do," Dom said quietly, pressing his lips to her mouth. He smiled at her as he broke the kiss, stroking gently along the sides of her body. "We've got time."

"I don't need much, just–"

When she tried to explain herself, a soft chuckle vibrated deep in Dom's chest. "C'mere," he said, as he wrapped his arms around her again. Laying his chin on her head, he emitted a deep audible breath. "I've never seen you so– _Shy_ is not the right word, maybe it's _emotional_ , but, you know, I've never seen you so–"

"Weak?" Letty spoke against his chest, hugging him.

"You're not weak," Dom laughed. "You're just not– There's more to you than that ass-kicking, tough girl, who loves to throw a punch. I've always known, 'cause you let me see that, but I feel like what happened to you–"

"Turned me into a fucking pussy," she stated, smirking.

"Letty, will you just shut up?" Dom pinched her sides, laughing again, only much louder. "I was gonna say, it changed you. You're starting to open up more. I don't have to– You know, you've never been one to talk when it's something very close to your heart. Walls up. You like to keep your feelings to yourself, because you don't wanna seem weak. But now it's like– You trust people not to hurt you with what you tell them about you and–"

"Don't make me regret that," Letty stated firmly, moving in his arms so she could look him in the eyes. "I mean it, Dom. I've never really shut you out, but I fucking will if you-"

"And you should know that you can," Dom finished his sentence. "That was what I wanted to tell you, had you let me," he explained. "God, Let, why do you consider being emotional such a battle? You don't have to fight your feelings all the time, because you're afraid to let others see what's inside. Not everyone's gonna hurt you if you show–"

"Oh, c'mon," Letty blurted out. "Don't act like you're one to top off that champagne bottle of emotions and watch them spray all over the place. You're as bad as me, Dominic Toretto. Don't you dare pretend like you're any better." Grinning at him, she made sure he understood that this wasn't an insult. She really meant what she had said, but she had said it to tease him.

"Can we just agree that we're both bad at doing this?" Dom grinned back at her.

"At least we're opening up to each other," Letty noted. "That's a start, right?"

"Yeah... we really needed that." He paused for a minute to give her, as well as himself, some time to recall everything they had talked about. His mistakes, Elena, her abortion. It was a lot to take in and Dom was sure that they needed more than just a day until they fully comprehended what it all meant for their relationship, their marriage. And they needed to continue not being afraid to talk about anything they feared could happen or anything they weren't happy with. "Seriously, Letty, this can only work if we're a hundred percent honest to each other, no matter _what_ we are feeling." Shifting uneasily in her arms, he took a tremulous breath.

"What?" Letty asked, sensing that something was bothering him.

"Speaking of being honest, there's somewhere I have to be, but I'll be back for my birthday, I promise," he answered, clearly anxious about how she would take the news.

"What? But that's–" She tried to keep her temper, but Letty felt like him deciding to go away now was equivalent to him running away from their awkward situation and the issues they still had. What was all that talk about being together and getting through this together, if he chose to leave it all behind by going away? It was worth nothing. "But, Dom, that's like five days. Where do you wanna go for _five_ days?"

He knew she didn't like surprises, and this certainly wasn't the right time to pack his stuff and head off to somewhere, but if he wanted this thing to work he couldn't tell her anything about it. It was hard having yet another secret to keep from her. He could only hope that in the end she would be glad not to have known about it. However, looking at Letty, he realized that he was playing with fire and there was a great chance he might get burned. But he was willing to take that risk, because he knew it would be worth it. He just knew.

"I can't tell you. I need you to trust me," he tried to allay his wife's sorrow. "Do you trust me?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't," Letty said without hesitation. "But I–" She took a step back and, running one hand through her hair, uttered a sigh. "But you can't keep doing this. It's–" Letty's eyes locked onto the face of her dear husband, pleading for him to understand her struggle. "You keep running away from me and as soon as I get you back you keep telling me, this is it... and then you run off again. Do you even know how exhausting that is?"

Dom quickly grabbed her hands, pulling her towards him again. "I know I'm asking a lot from you, baby. I really do," he made clear, "and I know I shouldn't... Not after everything I've done, but–" He almost had tears in his eyes when he continued, "But this is something I have to do... for _us_ ," he explained. "The last thing I wanna do right now is leave you again, but I gotta do this. Please, let me do this, Letty." Caressing the back of her hands with his thumb, he gave her a look of entreaty, effectively disarming Letty.

"This better be fucking good," she growled.

Whatever the fuck he was planning on doing that she couldn't know about, it had to be worth it. Looking at him, she felt like it was, though. And after everything they had talked about, fought about, _cried_ about today, he wouldn't dare to leave her for something that wasn't completely mind-blowing, would he? She hoped for his sake that he wouldn't, because if he did, Dom would have to deal with a very pissed-off wife. Possible ex-wife then. He kept messing with her head and, more importantly, with her heart. She just couldn't take it anymore.

"Promise me, you'll call me," Letty asked him for something she usually wouldn't have. She could bear not seeing him for a while without talking to him, just not right now; not under these complicated circumstances where there were old wounds still stealing into their relationship every day.

"I'll get on FaceTime every single day," Dom promised, cupping her cheeks. Then he smiled. "And I'm gonna see this beautiful face and be reminded of how lucky I am to get back home to this woman every time I do." He kissed her while his thumbs stroke her sensitive skin.

When Letty felt his lips on hers, she just gave in. She really was sick of arguing, so she preferred to trust him rather than initiating another fight. She put her arms round his neck and as her fingers touched his cheeks, she felt them get wet. He was obviously crying silently. She didn't know why and she didn't need to know, but the fact that he did just made her feel like he really wanted this to work as much as she did. They were both deeply touched by the issues threatening to break their relationship.

"Are you leaving right now?" Letty wondered after their lips parted. "Does Mia know?"

"She knows, and no, I won't leave until tomorrow," Dom replied with a smile. "So whatever you wanna do today, I'm in."

Letty had never been one to plan ahead and just spent every day with whatever spontaneous thing came to her mind, but now that she knew Dom would leave soon, she really wanted today to be different. It had to be somewhat meaningful. Nothing super romantic or cheesy but something they both enjoyed doing, something fun. And there was usually one thing she knew for a fact he loved getting a real kick out of. They both did.

"There's something going down on Prairie Avenue tonight," she said, and a smirk lit up her face. "I know your sister wouldn't want us to, cops and all, but–"

Dom started grinning broadly as it became clear to him what she was referring to and, man, did he love the idea! "But Mr. and Mrs. Alpha need to let people know they're still in the game," he noted.

Ruffling her hair, he gave a small chuckle. Of course Mia wouldn't like to see them do something illegal again after they had just managed to finally clear their names, but to stir up trouble in the world of street racing with her as a married couple, almost like the old days, was a very exciting thought. He hadn't taken part in a quarter mile race in forever. In fact, it had been so long ago that Dom felt like people had forgotten about who used to rule the streets of Los Angeles. This was their moment to race back to fame.

When Dom put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair, Letty laughed and gently pushed his hand away and adjusted her hair. He ruffled it again. She adjusted it. Before he ruffled once more she backed away. "Stop it," she grumbled, feigning annoyance as she adjusted her hair one last time. Inside, she couldn't help smiling at Dom's playfulness, his fit of excitement. And she shared his excitement. That street race was the best thing she could do right now to distract herself from everything she had to struggle with these days, because for those few minutes, she was free.

"What if you lose?" Dom asked, still letting his anticipation show by that wide smirk on his face. "Do I have to spent the night sleeping on the floor?"

"Oh, please, are you kidding me," Letty retorted, teasingly rolling her eyes at him. "You know that's not gonna happen, 'cause Mrs. Alpha is gonna show the boys out there that she's _still_ the one with the balls in this thing." She pointed at him then to her to make him understand that with 'this thing' she meant their relationship. As she walked past him, Letty hit Dom lightly against the chest and glanced up at him. "So don't cry all night when I roast your cute little ass... Mr. Alpha."

Dom was quick on the comeback, throwing his arms around her to keep her from getting out of reach. He tickled her in all the places he knew she was ticklish – good for him there were a lot – and held her tightly in his grip as she yelled at him to stop and tried to free herself from his embrace. He enjoyed this moment more than anything. After all the fighting that had been going on between them, to laugh with her meant the world to him.

"Let go of me," Letty screamed, laughing so much she could hardly breathe and had to gasp for air.

"No way," Dom laughed.

And then it was like someone had suddenly flipped a switch as they both calmed down until it was so quiet they could hear Mia working in the kitchen downstairs. With Letty in his arms, her back pressed against his front, Dom rested his chin on her right shoulder. Closing his eyes, he sighed. Letty slipped her fingers around his arms and leaned her head against his, eyes closed too. They kept quiet for a minute until she decided to break the silence and open her mouth.

"You mean it, don't you?" she whispered, her chest rising and falling as she heaved a small sigh of relief, grateful for the peaceful atmosphere in a room that had been filled with so much anger before. Her grip around his arms tightened as though she feared he would move away from her.

"More than anything," he mumbled, touching her cheek with his lips. "There's _no way_ I ever let you go again." Dom pulled her even closer, leaving no doubt that he really meant what he said. "Ride... or die... remember?"

* * *

 **Like I said, I wanted to do a little time jump until Dom gets back. Should I stick to that or do you want to read their goodbye and then maybe have another small chapter while Dom is away? Let me know in the reviews or PM me :) Have a great weekend! Xo**


	12. This Ain't Goodbye

**A/N: I decided to do the time jump most of you preferred. I wasn't sure if I should spill anything about the nature of Dom's secret mission, but I thought I owed you guys for being so patient with me. However, I decided to split this chapter into two parts. That means you'll have to wait till the next one to see what Dom is/was up to.** ** **Your reviews keep me going. Always s** o thankful for everything you have to say Xo  
**

 **Flashbacks start and end in italics.**

* * *

"Aren't you going to bed?" Mia asked when they had finished cleaning up.

These past few days, Letty had been awfully quiet. She was numb; she went through the motions of eating tiny meals and sleeping fitfully, but her mind was in a far-off land. She probably thought no one would notice, but Mia had, and it worried her, even though Dom had told her that everything between him and Letty was fine – as fine as it could be – and that she didn't have to worry about anything.

"I'm gonna work on my car," Letty answered, taking a six-pack out of the fridge, "until Dom gets here."

Mia sighed. "But you don't know if he'll be back tonight." Dom had told her that he needed to go away for a bit, according to him, to visit family, but wasn't his family here? Wasn't Letty his family? Mia knew what her brother was doing right now meant a lot to him, he wouldn't have left Letty if it didn't, but she still didn't think that had been a smart move considering those two had just gotten back together.

"Your brother said he'll be back for his birthday and that's tomorrow, so I'm taking him at his word and wait up for him," Letty countered, a bit annoyed, convinced that Dom could contact her at any moment, saying he'll be home soon.

"Letty!" Mia tried reaching out her hand, thinking that if she couldn't tell her where Dom was at least she could comfort her somehow, but her friend backed away before she could get a hold of her arm.

"It's okay, Mi," Letty said, taking a step back, as she looked at Dom's sister with a weak smile. A fake one, admittedly. "Really... I just... need something to do." _Because I'm going crazy_ , she added in her mind. Too many thoughts, worries, were racing around in her head to sleep right now, so why should she even care to try? She couldn't.

"You sure?" Mia asked, obviously not buying it. But she knew too well that there was nothing she could do to keep Letty from doing what she wanted. Besides that, she was already too tired to even deal with the Latina's stubbornness. That was a fight she couldn't win, especially not at this late hour.

Letty nodded. "I'm fine," she told Mia, almost convincing herself as she said it. But she wasn't fine.

Letty was seriously worried. Not knowing what Dom was up to put thoughts into her head that she didn't want to have. She was sad. And angry. She was really angry at herself for feeling that way and at him for making her. Even when he wasn't with her, he could make her feel anything from good to bad. No one should ever have that power over her, but Dom did. He did and she hoped that at least she had the same kind of power over him.

Entering the garage, Letty slumped down on the old, rusted couch and put the pack of beer next to her on the empty drum of oil. With a sigh, she grabbed a Corona and opened it. Looking around, her eyes quickly fixated on the spot where she had last seen her husband before he'd gotten into his car and driven off to wherever he'd been wanting to go. He probably had no idea how much she missed him. Was he okay? Why wasn't he back yet?

"Where the hell are you, Dom?" she mumbled, taking a sip of her beer.

 _Dom reached behind his neck and undid the clasp of the necklace, but Letty's hand stopped him from taking it off. She put the cross back in its place, as she smiled at him, and let her hands move tenderly down his arms until she found his hands. She threaded her fingers with his and gave both his hands a gentle squeeze. Her eyes were on him, and they looked happy and sad at the same time._

 _"Keep it this time," she told him, "I'll be okay and I know you're gonna come back... to me."_

 _Letty cupped his face and brushed her lips across his. It made them tingle, like blood was pumping liquid heat into them. Dom's lids dropped, his gaze falling to her mouth. He traced the line of her lower lip with his thumb in a way that was light and slow, but for Letty, torturously erotic. Every ridge of that thumbprint, she could feel smoothing over her skin, permanently marking her._

Dom turned his gaze to her face, his thumb still on her lips, nudging them slightly apart. Letty closed her eyes. She was completely savoring his touch. She wouldn't wanna miss this for the world; the way he could make her feel so much with just so little. A touch, nothing more. But Dom had the most amazing hands. So masculine and capable; they wore the mark of sensuality in each line and protection in each crease.

"I am gonna miss these lips," Dom whispered, smiling. "And I'm gonna miss the hell outta _you_ ," he added, his voice almost breaking.

Slowly opening her eyes, Letty put her hands back on his soft cheeks, stroking his skin with her fingers. Her husband's eyes took on that hot, sultry look, Dom's breath hissing between his teeth. He was full of sexual lust for her, and she could see that. She _knew_ that. He had never made a secret of how much he wanted her. Even when she had had no memories and he had been more of a stranger to her, she had always known that he longed for her touch in a way she couldn't please him; not back then. Could she now, though?

"You'll be the death of me," Dom managed to get out, his voice husky with desire, and it made Letty emit a soft laugh.

"You were mine," she chuckled, as she pulled his head to hers with her arms round his neck. "And I swear to God, Dominic Toretto, if you're not gonna show up here again, I'm gonna hunt you down and put a bullet through your heart," she told him, "For real this time."

Dom just laughed, and then his lips were already on hers, as Letty had used her hands to pull his face so close there was almost no space between them. Dom kissed her passionately and Letty kissed him back, the two of them nearly silent except the sound of their hungry lips, their deep breaths and their beating hearts. Soft moans came from their open lips whenever they parted, but they never did for more than just a second.

Letty's hands grasped his hips, and when she started pushing his shirt up, there was a moment where Dom just wanted to let it happen. Yet he broke away from the kiss to divest himself of it in one fluid motion. But he didn't pull away completely. His breath was warm against Letty's face as he stared into her eyes, breathing heavily. Dom's hand slid to cup the side of her head, and his thumb softly stroked the underside of her chin, an arm sneaking out to circle her waist while he smiled shyly at her.

Letty could stand there all day and let him look at her like that. Dom's eyes were mesmerizing. She could fall into them and never come out. His smile landed like a punch to her stomach, knocking all the air out of her lungs. She felt like she couldn't breathe let alone speak. She didn't know what to do with her hands, so she let them stay beneath his shirt, fingernails pressing lightly into his back. Letty clung to Dom like she might hold him to her forever, not willing to let him go. Angling her head, she pressed her cheek into his palm and closed her eyes.

"I–" Still staring at her, Dom had to swallow hard, swallow his desire to be able to think straight. He knew this wasn't how she wanted it, _if_ she was even ready for that at all. "You don't really," he started, that's when Letty opened her eyes again, "wanna do this, do you? Because I want you to be sure," Dom said with a concerned look on his face.

Letty sighed deeply. He really knew her too well. This clearly wasn't the right time. She didn't want to rush things, and she was sure that if she had continued taking his clothes off there would've been a moment where she would've wanted to put an end to it, because they were going too fast. And he was about to leave, so it would be the Dominican Republic all over again – she would be left alone, wondering where he went and when he'd be back. No, she didn't want this. Not now, not today. She wanted to have more than just a small moment of true bliss with him when it happened.

"I just want you so much," Letty admitted, her voice louder than a whisper yet soft as a dying lovers' words. "And I want you with me, Dom. I don't–"

Dom stopped her from talking by pulling her closer until Letty's small body nestled against his. "This will be our last goodbye, Let... Trust me." He had told her this so many times already in the last couple of days, but he would promise that over and over again if he had to.

Letty said nothing, feeling a great warmth go all through her body as Dom picked her up in his arms and cradled her against his chest. She wrapped her legs around him and lay her head to rest on his shoulder. Dom just stood there for minutes, with Letty in his arms, eyes closed, reveling in getting to hold his wife one last time before he would be away from her for a while.

"You know, you're still my trophy, Leticia Ortiz," Dom whispered, heaving a deep sigh.

Though she usually hated it when people called her by her full name, she could listen to Dom say 'Leticia' forever. The way he said it, and she knew how cheesy that must sound, was just like his mouth had never called out a name more beautiful in his life. He made that awful name sound so damn sexy, sometimes it even turned her on. Dom was the only one who was allowed to call her that. Everyone else usually got an evil look from her, a rude comment, or slapped against any body part that was within her reach.

Letty took his face in her hands and began nibbling his brows, his nose, his cheek, Dom's chin, all the time moving toward his mouth. Tracing his jawline with one finger, she stared right into his eyes again. They seemed to sparkle even brighter than before, lending his face a soft, friendly expression; the kind of look a man had when he was at peace with himself. Letty put her index finger to his mouth, gliding it over Dom's lips. Her touch created such evocative sensations, the big guy feared that he could collapse with Letty still in his arms.

"It's Toretto," she smirked, before she leaned forward to kiss him, holding onto him tightly.

The touch of her lips was all it took for Dom to lose his footing. At first, he just stumbled but then fell right flat on his back. He tried to break Letty's fall to keep her from getting hurt, and groaned with pain as his back hit the ground hard, his wife landing on top of him. The Latina laughed. It started out as a little giggle and quickly turned into a hearty laugh, which filled the vast space. Dom rubbed the back of his head and looked at her, just when Letty turned to him, still laughing.

"So that's what your trophy's worth to you, huh, bubba?" she laughed, smacking Dom lightly against the chest. "You just let it fall." At least her husband had such a strong, muscular body, it had only hurt a little; probably less than it had hurt him. "You okay?" She looked at him, slightly worried.

"Yeah, I'm okay" Dom nodded, "but I think I should– I gotta go now," he mumbled, smiling when she shook her head vigorously.

"Not yet," she uttered, tucking her head under his chin. She used her fingernail to trace a pattern over his chest, and her eyes fell shut. She just wanted to hold on to her dear husband for a little while longer. Was that too much to ask?

 _Dom rubbed his hand over her back, his strong arms wrapping over her, pulling her close only a moment later. Letty hugged him tightly. She tried memorizing the feel of the soft cotton of his shirt under her cheek and the sound of his heart beating so close to her ear. She had experienced it so many times, it was familiar to her, yet the finality of the moment was agonizing. It's only for a few days, she said to herself in her mind over and over again, but she couldn't help feeling a little sad._

 _"Hey, look at me," Dom whispered, sensing that she had a hard time right now letting him go. Letty lifted herself to meet his gaze and stared down at his face. Dom's eyes were honest, and his emotions pure, as he told her, "I love you."_

 _Letty's head fell back on his chest, slowly, like a feather falling down to the ground, touching it gently. Dom could feel her smiling against him once she had settled back in his arms. He released a small chuckle. He didn't know where it came from, maybe he was just foolishly happy, but he could feel Letty reacting to it with one of her own and that made him even happier. The sweet giggle that came out of her mouth was a relief. He felt relieved knowing they wouldn't part ways on bad terms. Their relationship had some cracks, but at least they weren't entirely broken. They were still very much in love._

Letty licked her lips, like she could still taste him, but there wasn't the unique flavor of Dom's mouth, just the hint of beer. Frustrated, she got up from the couch. Maybe fixing her damn car would make her feel better. It usually did. Then again, cars also reminded her of Dom, so she didn't think it would actually work this time. Even the smell in the garage brought back memories of him – of her and Dom having a little fun in here, especially when they had been younger.

She spent about ninety minutes in the garage before she finally decided it was enough and she was too tired to do anything. She walked back to the house and went straight to the bathroom. Eyes closed, her head tilted back, she let the water of the shower wash over her, hoping it would help her relax. Unfortunately, her mind didn't want to shut up. Letty knew in her heart that Dom wasn't cheating on her, but she really needed to hear something from him; needed to know that whatever he was doing, he really did for them. Whatever he did, it was obviously more important to him than being with his wife.

God, she knew that wasn't true. It was mean of her to even think that anything could be more important to him than making up for all the lost time with her. She didn't want to be mean, she had just developed the bad habit of overthinking things lately and it was like she couldn't do anything to make it stop. But it was kind of _his_ fault. If he had told her why he needed to go away, she wouldn't have to doubt him. So, did she trust him? Sure she did, but he certainly didn't make it easy for her with all this secrecy.

For hours, she had rolled from one side of the bed to the other and it started to really annoy her. Letty shoved the blankets off her body and got out of bed. She left the room and walked softly down the hall, holding herself with both arms. She couldn't stop thinking about Dom. Why wasn't he back yet? Last time they had talked, he had told her he'd be there when she'd go to bed and now she _still_ hadn't heard of Dom nor was her husband anywhere to be seen.

Downstairs, she turned on the TV, trying to distract herself from all the negative thoughts that kept entering her mind. She still didn't get what was so important that he had to run off to some place she couldn't know of. Why couldn't he just have told her what it was that he had to do or at least where he was going? It would've been a lot easier for her to make it through the last couple of days had she known where he was.

While switching channels, Letty decided to watch a chick flick. These kind of movies had the satisfactoriness of boring her to death, so whenever she couldn't sleep, she turned them on. Every now and then she yelled at the TV – "Oh, c'mon! Are you kidding me?" – when the storyline became too absurd just for the sake of bringing the protagonists together, or rolled her eyes at something that was being said. She was glad she and Dom didn't have this cheesy relationship thing going on. Of course, they could be a bit corny sometimes, she had to admit that, but their romance was definitely not the kind Hollywood made movies about.

 _"So..." Mia started, as she crawled under the sheets, grinning broadly at her best friend._

 _"So..." Letty repeated, adjusting her hair. The Latina was half-dressed, a loose shirt hanging over bare thighs, panties underneath. "So, what?" she smirked._

 _"So... I saw you kissing my brother tonight," Mia revealed, not able to wipe that grin off her face._

She knew there was something going on between Letty and her brother, she just wasn't exactly sure how serious it was. Knowing Dom, that thing with Letty probably was like any other encounter he'd had with girls in the past, a fling, nothing more, but after today, it seemed like Letty had actually more to offer him than just her body. Even though she expected Letty not to admit anything, Mia thought it was worth a shot trying to get something out of her.

"You've seen me kissing Dom a lot lately," Letty laughed, "What's the big deal? You know we're enjoying ourselves," she chuckled.

"You never kissed him like _that_ , though," Mia had noticed.

"Like what?" Letty raised a brow. It seemed like this conversation was about to get _very_ interesting.

She wasn't stupid, though. She knew Mia was extremely good at reading people, and she couldn't deny that she had had a moment where she had felt like she'd been acting as if she were in love with Dom, but that was just that – a moment. Of course she thought Dominic was the coolest guy she had ever met, and he was really sexy, and yes, he had always had her attention, but in love? No, she didn't love him. She liked him. A lot. And she was happy he obviously liked her back, at least enough to make out with her, and sleep with her.

"Oh, c'mon, Letty," Mia laughed, throwing a pillow at her. "You know you had your hands all over his face today. And I've seen the way you looked at him when he broke the kiss... Hearty eyes, huh? Didn't know you have them too."

"You're pathetic!" Letty picked up the cushion from the floor and threw it right back at Mia before she joined her in bed, pulling the blankets over her body. "I don't know _what_ you saw, but you might wanna consider seeing an eye doctor, 'cause the hearty eyes you're talking about... I sure as hell didn't–"

"So, you don't like Dom," Mia raised a question she certainly knew the answer to.

"Of course I like him," Letty replied. "I wouldn't do... _things_ with him, if I didn't. But not like– I could end it today and it'd mean nothing to me."

Letty turned on the TV, switching channels, all the while wondering if what she had just said was really true. If she were to end things, end this little fling they had, would she feel any regret? There surely was something about Dominic Toretto that made him special, so that she was, helplessly rather than willingly, drawn to him, but that didn't mean anything, did it? She could still live without the kisses and the sex, and everything else they did together. Her happiness didn't depend on Dom – and it never would.

"Are you trying to convince _me_ or _yourself_ ," Mia asked another one of her questions Letty felt bothered by, grinning as she did. "Because you can't convince me that this... you and Dom... isn't something you've been waiting for, for like eight years." Slapping her lightly against the shoulder, Mia laughed. "C'mon, I know this is serious, Let. You can tell me. I promise I won't say anything to him."

"Like I said... You're _pathetic_ ," the Latina scoffed, clearly not willing to take this conversation any further.

Mia would never understand the core of Dom's and her relationship. This wasn't a thing for eternity. This was just a lot of fun, a friends with benefits thing, no strings attached. She'd probably be sick of him in a few months anyway, because his ego could be annoying as hell. She got really mad at him sometimes. And some day she might not let him calm her down by having sex with her anymore. Some day she might be done with him for good. Just like that. Why? Because this thing between her and Dom wasn't serious at all. No matter what Mia or anyone else thought, it wasn't.

Mia heaved a frustrated sigh and closed her eyes for a second. Why did Letty have to be so stubborn? She would probably never admit that she was slowly but surely falling in love with Dom. Mia knew why, though. Letty didn't want to get hurt and Dom sure had a real talent for treating women in the most disrespectful way. Even her dad didn't really like the way her brother acted around girls and had tried to tell him many times that not every one of them was as much into this macho behavior as he thought they were, but Dom had just laughed it off.

But Mia also knew that Dom could be a sweetheart. She only wished he were that way to Letty, so that she would stop being so afraid to be honest with herself. She wanted her best friend to be happy, and Mia had no doubt that for Letty, happiness included being with Dom. That wasn't just something her mind had made up. She knew Letty well enough to see behind this tough act. Maybe some day she could get her to see it too – that she had fallen for Dominic Toretto no matter what she made herself believe.

Looking over at Letty again, Mia asked, "Do you wanna watch a movie before we sleep?"

"It depends on the movie," Letty noted, happy that this talk about Dom was over, at least for now. "Not if it's any of those bad chick flicks where they try so fucking hard to make people cry they forget about a decent storyline."

"God, Letty, sometimes I just really hate you," Mia rolled eyes at her.

"What? Just because I don't like this cheesy stuff you do?" Letty laughed. "Stop kidding yourself, princess. You _loooove_ me." Gently digging her elbow into Mia's side, she smirked. "And you love me 'cause I'm nothing like the other chicks you're hanging out with. In fact, I'm the best friend you have, so stop whining and go get Lethal Weapon from the stack."

Mia tried not to grin, as she got up and grabbed the movie from the stack of DVDs she had in her room. And she still managed to keep that straight face on when she crawled back into bed. But seeing Letty grin broadly at her out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help it anymore and burst out laughing. Becoming such close friends with the Latina, even though they were so different in character, definitely was her greatest achievement in life so far. She was beyond happy to have Letty by her side, knowing she would never leave it. No one could ever come between them.

"You know, one day, Letty, you'll find that this corny stuff isn't even half as bad as you think it is... and when you do, I'll be there laughing my butt off 'cause Dom managed to turn you into a mush ball," Mia said, hoping she'd be right.

"The only thing your brother will ever turn me into is a pissed-off woman, if his ego will get any bigger. I'm so sick of it!"

"You keep telling yourself that, girl. You keep telling yourself that." Mia grinned, slapping her lightly on her upper leg.

"What?" Letty asked, frowning.

"If you really were sick of his ego, you'd dumped him a long time ago, but deep down you probably love that most about him." Mia found it hard not to laugh at the expression on Letty's face which was a mix between confusion and annoyance. Who would've thought that tough-acting badass Leticia Ortiz could be so cute when she was in love and failing miserably at trying to hide it.

"Oh, shut up already," Letty said, her voice raised. "Seriously, Mia, if you won't stop talking about your damn brother, I'll sleep in my own bed."

"No, you won't," Mia laughed. "And you know why? Because you love staying at our house too much." Imitating Letty, she added, "And because you _loooove_ me." She nudged her with the elbow, just like Letty had done to her. "C'mon, admit it. You love me."

As much as Letty wanted to look pissed off, she couldn't hide the smirk that her lips were turning into. "Okay, fine," she almost shouted, "I do. I do love you."

"Aww, see? It's not that hard to admit these things," Mia chuckled.

" _But_ ," Letty continued, looking at her, "the annoying you really needs to take a time out. How about you'll be silent you from now on? I like that version of you the most."

Mia made a gesture as though she was locking her lips with a key and throwing it away afterwards. Ending her pantomimic performance, her lips transformed into a wide grin. She turned her eyes away from Letty and to the TV. Mia was pretty sure she had gotten all the answers she was looking for. Letty was only ever really annoyed with something if it was extremely stupid behavior or something that appealed to her feelings, otherwise she didn't care enough about other people to be annoyed by their actions or words. That meant Mia had been on to something. Letty really did love Dom. The question remained, did her brother feel anything for her?

Letty followed Mia's movements closely with her eyes. Something was clearly going on inside that pretty head of hers, and hell, she needed to know what it was. It _had_ to do with Dom and her. That was all Mia seemed to be thinking about at the moment. Why did she even have to say anything? Now, Letty couldn't stop thinking about Dom herself. What a mess she was in. The last thing she needed right now was guy trouble.

 _"What are you smiling about now?" Letty asked, raising her eyebrows._

 _Still grinning, Mia looked at Letty, and with one finger, she pointed to her lips. They were sealed, just like Letty wanted. Letty wanted her to keep her mouth shut, so that was what she would do. If she had a problem with that, it was Letty's to figure out, not hers. But boy, did she love getting to tease her like that. It was so much fun!_

 _"Ugh, I really hate you," Letty growled, trying to focus on the movie instead of the thoughts that occupied her mind._

Letty opened her eyes again when the end credits appeared on the screen, and she wasted no time in going back to her room. There was a real chance of getting some rest now. She had to take it. Crawling into bed, weighted with weariness, and wishing she could snuggle into Dom, Letty promptly fell asleep. It happened so fast that she didn't even check her phone for any text messages or calls, any updates on Dom's arrival. In that moment she didn't care about anything else but sleep. She only cared about finally being able to shut up the voices inside her head.


	13. Back Home

**A/N: One of the things I find most intriguing about Fast 8 is the prospect of learning more about Dom's background as he is, like Vin said, of Cuban descent. That's why I decided to add a little bit of that to my story. Maybe you had a feeling Dom would do this... Hope you like it.  
**

 **Thanks to my fangirl friend Mia for helping me out with the Spanish x**

 _ **Flashbacks start and end in italics.**_

* * *

Dom came into the darkened room quietly. With the moonlight peeking through the window, right onto the bed, his eyes spotted his beloved wife immediately. The sight of her made him smile. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful sleeping there that Dom didn't have the heart to wake her. Taking off his clothes, he slid into bed beside her. The desire to be close to her, to feel the warmth of her was too strong. Dom gently kissed Letty's cheek, trying not to wake her but wanting to feel her skin brush against his lips yet again.

"I've missed you so much," he said in a whisper, spooning her.

 _"Hoy estás muy callado. Te pasa algo?" (You're very quiet today. Is something wrong?)_

 _"It's Letty," Dom answered after a moment of silence, looking at her._

 _His grandmother was working in the kitchen, making dinner, while he sat on a bar chair at the kitchen island, his hands playing with one of her steak knives. Dom had been in that chair for what felt like hours. People could burn down the house and he'd keep sitting there moping over things. It had only been a day since he came to Cuba to visit his family. The last time he'd been there, he'd still been a little boy, so he wanted to enjoy being back. But right now, all he could think about was her._

"How is she?" Ramona asked, "I haven't seen her since she was a child." She smiled at her grandson, then approached Dom, looking a bit worried. "Are you and Leticia still–"

"Yes, yes... We are," Dom replied, letting go of the knife. He turned to face his grandmother and started smiling weakly as he revealed to her what he had been hiding from everyone. "We're– Somos marido y mujer. We're married."

Dom feared that his father's mother could be disappointed or sad that he had kept such secret from her, but she just smiled happily at him, proudly even, and it warmed Dom's heart to see the loving look on her face. For a moment, it seemed like Ramona was too overwhelmed with emotions to say something. She just threw her arms round his neck and hugged him tightly. Dom pulled her close, chuckling, as the old woman uttered words of disbelief.

"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you," he offered an apology when Ramona broke away from the hug, yet she slapped the back of his head.

"Vaya manera de tratar a tu abuela, qué vergüenza, Dominic Toretto," (What a way to treat your grandmother, you should be ashamed), she complained, half-joking, "Not telling your family about it... Didn't your parents teach you better than that?"

"That's why I'm here," Dom let her know, rubbing the back of his head where her hand had smacked him. "I want to–" He paused, thinking of all the things he still had to do to put his plan into action. "I know I should've said something, but we wanted it to be our secret, and– Look, I–I really need your help. I can't do this without you."

Dom stared at her, and she looked like she wasn't sure if she should reward him for keeping his marriage a secret by offering her support, but in the end, Ramona smiled at him again. Whatever he needed help with, it seemed to mean a lot to him, and she could never turn him down like that. He still was the little boy to her that he'd been the last time she had seen him. And since he had been born her very first grandchild, her bond with him was a special one anyway.

"What can I do to help?"

Dom's face lit up, like she had just told him one of the happiest news of his life. Coming here, doing this, had been the right decision, even though being away from Letty was definitely the worst kind of feeling in the world right now. But none of it would really matter anymore, if he could make this work, because he knew they would both be happy. Happy to be together, happy to be married. Usually, none of his plans worked out the way he'd imagined, but this time it would be different. Dom could feel it. It'd be great!

"I need you to take care of the food," he told her. "I know your home cooking skills are good enough to make their way to a restaurant to make money, so I need you to do what you do best... perform some magic in here." With a nod, Dom pointed to the pots on the stove. "You gotta have those ready in about two weeks. Create a three-course menu. Cuban-style, maybe? Can you do that? Please tell me you can do it."

Ramona laughed. He seemed a bit desperate, as though she was his last resort, and if she wouldn't want to do that, or if she couldn't, all he had planned would fail. She could tell without a word from him that whatever her grandson intended to do, he wanted to do for Letty. She must mean a lot to him. And Ramona was happy that her baby had finally grown up to be a real man; a man, who appreciated the love of a great woman. That sure must be what Letty was – a great woman. Dom had obviously found true love, and that made her incredibly happy.

"Dom, my darling," she started, as she turned her back to him to focus on the meal she was cooking. "You should know that there's absolutely _nothing_ that your abuela can't do," she chuckled, "especially when it comes to cooking." Ramona looked over her shoulder to see his face, his _grinning_ face. "So, consider it done," she declared. "I just–"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Dom launched himself out of the chair and made his way over to her to hug his grandma from behind. "Muchas gracias, abuelita! I owe you," he thanked her once more, kissing her on the cheek.

"I just have one condition," Ramona finished her sentence.

"Whatever you want," Dom stated, giving her small body one final squeeze before he let go.

"I wanna meet your wife." Turning around, she added, "I wanna know if she's still got that attitude... that big mouth." She laughed. "I'd love to get to know her better."

"Oh, trust me, she's still very much the same girl she's always been," Dom said with a smirk on his lips. "Only she looks like a woman now." His smirk grew bigger when he saw his grandma rolling her eyes a little. "What do you expect," he laughed. "I'm a man. Those fine curves were the first thing I noticed."

"That's what your father said when he brought home his first car, like he couldn't resist spending all his money on that rust bucket 'cause of those curves," Ramona mumbled.

Hearing her talk about his father, Dom couldn't help but smile, yet there was a split second where it hurt deeply to know that he would never ever get to hear his dad's side of the story. He probably hadn't even heard half of what his father had done as a teenager, but maybe being with his grandmother would give him a chance to get to know more about the early life of Anton Toretto. Maybe she had a lot of other great stories to tell.

"Of course you're gonna meet her," Dom responded to his grandma's request. "I want you all there. The entire family. You, Fernando, the girls... I'll ask Mia to come, too."

"And what exactly are you planning to do?" she asked, frowning.

"Marry her," Dom blurted out. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me." There was a sense of pride in his voice. "Again," he added, grinning. And his bright face and joy-beaming glance warmed Ramona's heart.

When her grandson had told her he'd finally come visit her again, she hadn't expected it to be like this; this emotional. She hadn't been aware of how much she had missed him until now that he stood there, full of love and happiness. She remembered the last time she had seen that look on Dom's face. It was when his dad had still been alive, telling him they would go for a ride together in his new car. She had hoped back then that maybe one day her grandchild would find that same joy in a girl instead of a car. Seeing that he had, made her wish his father would still be there to witness that.

"Eso es muy dulce y romántico. (That is so sweet and romantic.) I hope she's gonna say yes."

"I hope so too," Dom laughed, as he sat back on the chair. "I have a lot of making up to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, just that–" Dom sighed. "Well, to be honest, I haven't exactly been the ideal husband, so I wanna have this day to make a clear cut, you know, from the past," he explained. "It's not like I wanna forget it, I just– I want a moment where we'll know that's a new beginning... for us. And I think this day will be– God, I just wanna make her a promise I can keep this time... that I'm not gonna break. I really messed up and I hope she's gonna give me a second chance to make it right."

The old lady kept silent for a few minutes, thinking about what he had said. Then she glanced at him with a concerned look on her face. He still hadn't said anything about why he'd been sitting in the kitchen for hours, looking so sad. She was sure he preferred not to talk about it, maybe wished she had forgotten that by now, but she felt like it was important that he eased himself. If there was something going on that made him feel down, she wanted to know what it was, and she wanted to help him, even if that only meant listening to whatever he had to say.

"So, will you tell me what's wrong with you, sweetheart, or do I have to call your wife to find out?"

Dom preferred to think first this time before he opened his mouth. Should he tell his grandma about the abortion Letty had? Did Letty even want anyone to know about it? Maybe she wanted to keep it between them, so no one would bring it up and ask questions or even dare to judge her. Sighing, Dom limply moved his hand over his head and rested it on his face, rubbing his eyes wearily. How was he supposed to know if he could tell? Letty hadn't asked him to keep it a secret, but she hadn't explicitly expressed that he was allowed to talk about it either. But he needed to. He couldn't just–

"Right before... I came here," Dom started explaining himself, "Letty told me that she'd had–" He looked over to his grandmother, trying his best not to break under the weight of the emotional baggage he was carrying. He really didn't want to break down and cry, but his heart screamed otherwise. And because it was impossible to fight it, he allowed his tears to run freely for a minute. Silently, Dom cried – something he thought his grandma would never see him do as a man.

Ramona stared at the strong man her grandchild had turned into. It had been ages since she had last seen him cry, mourning the loss of his father. And now? Now, it looked like he carried a lot of grief about something else. Or was it regret that he felt? Ramona couldn't tell, but whatever it was, it had to be pretty heavy to make a man like him cry like that. She could only hope that he knew he didn't have to carry whatever burden he had all by himself. She'd be there for him if he let her. All he needed to do was talk. And she knew that was hard for him too sometimes.

Taking a deep breath, Dom calmed down. He couldn't deny that it had been a relief to just let it go and not hold on to it for the sake of keeping a straight face in the presence of someone other than Letty. He was with family here, so there was no need to act tough when he didn't feel like it. And this really wasn't something he could play down as though it didn't mean much. The simple fact that he still cried about it showed how serious it was. He would get over it, but not any time soon. It might take him years to process this. Right now, Dom really didn't know if this pain would ever hurt less let alone vanish completely.

"I wanted her to be safe. The cops were all on to us, so I thought it'd be best for her, if I go, you know, just... be on my own for a while." Dom grabbed the kitchen knife by the handle, holding it upside down, twisting and turning it so its blade left marks in the wood of the cooking island. "I left her... when she was pregnant," he revealed, ramming the knife into the wood so it stuck.

"You mean–"

"I mean, I really... _really_ fucked up," he sighed, getting up. "She had... an abortion... and I'm–I'm trying to understand why she did it, but–" Dom went to the kitchen sink and filled a glass full of cold tap water, and drank it down in thirsty gulps. Then he put the glass away and turned back to Ramona. "I'm still so angry with her. I just can't help it," he admitted. "If she had told Mia, Mia could've told me, and– Why would she do something like that without telling me? I don't know how to get passed this."

Dom felt his grandmother's hand on his shoulder. "But you have to, Dominic" she told him. "I'm sure she had–"

"I'm even more angry with myself," Dom cut her off quickly. "You know, I look at her and I'm just sorry." He let out another sigh. "I'm so sorry I put her through this... That I _made_ her do this. I get why Letty didn't wanna– But I still wish I would've known." He pulled his grandmother into a hug, resting his head on her shoulder. She immediately hugged him back. "Me duele," he breathed against her neck. "It hurts so much and I can't–"

Ramona tried to calm him down by rubbing the back of his head with one hand. He wasn't crying again, though she could tell he was close. She felt sorry for him as much as she did for Letty. Making that decision must've been hard, especially knowing how much Dom wanted children. He was just like his father, a family man. Family meant everything to him. It was what mattered most in his life. He would get over it, Ramona was sure of that. He just needed to give it some time. And he needed to do something else, which probably was even harder for him to do.

"Look at me, hijo," she whispered, waiting for Dom to move and meet her eyes. "You can't forgive Leticia unless you learn to forgive yourself, and I know that's not easy, but you have to," she spoke sincere. "You _have_ to forgive yourself, Dominic... for leaving her and forcing her into this situation or you will never be able to put this behind you." She cupped his face and smiled. "You deserve to be forgiven, and Letty obviously thinks so too or she wouldn't still be with you, right?"

"But I don't know if–"

" _Right_?" she repeated, louder this time, and Dom nodded softly.

"She's working on it," he said. "I'm not exactly sure if she has yet, but she really wants to forgive me."

"And she will," Ramona assured him before placing a kiss on his cheek. "You should do the same."

Dom hugged her again, running his hands up and down her back. "You know, I seriously should've come here sooner," he chuckled. "I'm lucky to have you."

Patting his back, Ramona grinned. "Don't believe for a second that I don't know you're just here for the food," she laughed. They hugged for a minute until she broke the silence, telling him, "You'll be a great dad one day. Your father would be so proud of you."

When Dom locked eyes with her, his face wore a huge smile, although it hurt to even think about what his dad would say to the things he had done. Would he really be proud of him? All his dad had ever wanted him to be was someone he himself could be proud of, and right now, he wasn't the least bit proud of himself. But making mistakes didn't necessarily make him a bad person. It was how he decided to own up to what he had done that was important; how he _made_ up for his wrongdoings.

 _Maybe he had lost his path for a while, but having Letty back had definitely reminded him of what was important, and who he really was and wanted to be. And he'd do anything to become that kind of person he could be proud of again. He'd make his father proud by not letting his stupid mistakes ruin his relationship with Letty. No matter what he had done in the past, he still had the chance to do it right. He should be grateful for that._

 _"I miss him," he mentioned quietly. "After all these years, I still miss him... a lot. I wish he were here."_

 _"Me too, son... me too," Ramona sighed. "Now c'mon, let's eat."_

Laying next to her, Dom's thoughts trailed off as he heard Letty starting to stir. Although he hadn't wanted to wake her, he was glad she was awake. Stroking along the side of Letty's body, he drew a deep breath and kissed his wife's shoulder multiple times. He rested his head on his hand as he gazed at her; a fingertip up the side of her neck to trace the curve of her ear.

Letty turned in his arms to face him, her own fingertips exploring his features as if she would learn every contour, every plane of his countenance. Dom's flesh jumped under her light touch. He closed his eyes. His body felt so sensitive, so responsive to her caressing that he swore his skin would catch fire. He wanted her, he'd wanted her all his life, and nothing could ever change that. She was the only woman that could make him feel this way.

She closed the distance between them, burying her face in his neck like a leech, her lips touching his skin over and over again as though she had to convince herself that it wasn't just a dream and Dom had really come back. She wanted to feel him, breathe him in, and press her body against his as hard as she could. They wrestled for a moment, and then their legs entangled.

For minutes, Letty lay motionless, her face huddled into the hollow of Dom's throat, with one arm around his neck. She hadn't known how much she had really missed him until now, now that he was back with her. She could only hope that he didn't plan on leaving her again anytime soon. She could make it on her own, survive without him, if that was what she really had to do, but being with him made her stronger. She _could_ live without him, but she didn't _want_ to. She needed him.

"I'm so happy you were born," she whispered in the wake of Dom's birthday that given how late it was had to be now. If he hadn't kissed her temple, she most likely would've fallen back to sleep immediately, because being in his arms was home, comfort and joy all in one. The warm and fuzzy feeling he gave her was pretty narcotic.

Dom emitted a soft laugh. "Well, I'm glad you finally changed your mind," he chuckled deeply, kissing Letty on the top of her head.

 _Everyone quickly gathered around, staring at the young Latina, who lay on the ground, wincing in pain. She screamed, and cursed like a sailor. Glass, shiny and clear, poked out of her skin. Mia knew that once she got that out, there would be blood everywhere, but she had to do it. Kneeling down next to Letty, she put a hand on her head trying to calm her down. The fact that she wanted to go to nursing school helped her remember the things she could do to stop the bleeding._

 _"Okay, this gonna hurt like hell, and you might hate me for it, but I gotta do something about your arm," Mia told her, and Letty's eyes snapped wide open. "I know," Mia sighed, "but I have to, Letty, I–" When she pulled out the big shard of glass, Letty screamed at the top of her lungs. "I'm sorry, Let, I'm so sorry," Mia cried out._

 _Grabbing her belt, she removed it with shaking hands and fashioned it into a tourniquet just above the bleeding gash, then drew it tight. She couldn't remember anymore how her big brother had managed to wipe out next to her best friend like that, but Mia seriously hoped it was the last time he had pulled that incredibly stupid stunt. She quickly looked over to him. He stood there with a concerned look on his face, probably grateful to still be in one piece after what he'd just done._

"You happy," she asked him angrily.

"Could've been worse, Mi," Vince butted in, earning an evil look from Dom's little sister.

"I just pulled part of his windshield outta her arm, how much worse could it be?" she snarled at him.

"Mia, I'm fine," Letty groaned with pain. "I can– Can we just go home?" Letty tried sitting upright. Her arm hurt like hell, but looking at it, she thought it wasn't even that bad. At least it didn't look as bad as it hurt.

"Home?" Mia frowned. "We should get you to the ER."

"Please... don't," Letty protested, "Don't– You know how much I hate hospitals. Can't you just patch me up at your place?" Taking another look at her arm, she noticed, "It's not even bleeding... that much... anymore, and I really... feel fine."

Ignoring Letty for a moment, Mia got up from the ground and went over to Dom, who still hadn't said anything. "I don't know what to do, Dom. She could get an infection." She tried to appeal to her brother's common sense, but she wasn't too optimistic that it would work considering who was responsible for this. "She needs a doctor. A _real_ one."

"Mia, the cops are probably already on their way, we don't have time to argue. Help me up. C'mon now!" Letty yelled at her.

"You shut up! I'm talking to Dom!" Mia shouted, not turning round to face her. She was sick of all these people playing games. She knew Letty wasn't as tough as she led everyone to believe, and she damn well knew her brother wasn't either. Why couldn't they act like decent people for once and do the right thing? She wished she could just take Letty with her to the hospital, but she couldn't do it alone. She needed help. Dom's help.

Letty stared at the man mentioned. He was such an idiot, yet she just couldn't help but find him attractive and the way he'd tried to show off had definitely made an impression on her, even though the car stunt hadn't worked out as planned. He had pretty much everything she was looking for in a guy, _if_ she was even looking for one, but Dominic Toretto hadn't acknowledged her existence in the last few years, so now that he had somewhat of an interest in her she should give in to that? Well, he definitely had to do a lot more than that stunt to make up for all the times he had ignored her in the past. Did he really want her, though? She still wasn't sure.

"If she says she's fine, she's fine," Dom mumbled. "And she's got a point... The cops–"

"So you want me to take her home, patch her up and act like this never happened?" Mia sounded mad, and Dom knew she was even madder than her voice let on.

"Vince and I will take her," he told his sister, walking up to the spot where Letty was sitting on the ground.

This was stupid, he knew it was, but he felt like he owed Letty. He owed her to do what she wanted, because he was the reason why she was hurt. If she really felt like she didn't need a doctor then her injury apparently wasn't that bad. Although probably she was just being Letty, and Letty was one of the most stubborn people he had ever met. He kind of liked that about her, he had to admit. If Letty Ortiz had made up her mind there was absolutely no one that could make her do anything she didn't want to – that much he had learned about the Latina despite the fact that he hadn't taken real notice of her in the past. If they brought her to the hospital, she would probably run away, Dom thought, smirking.

Mia caught that smirk on his face right away, though it was only there for like a second. "Dom, this isn't funny!"

"No, it's not, but you know her, Mia. What are we supposed to do? She doesn't want to go and you know she's just gonna leave, if–"

"Hello," Letty shouted, "I can hear you, you know? So how about you stop talking to each other like I'm not even there and take me the fuck home!"

She was starting to get real angry, and if they kept ignoring her, her mood would only get worse. It even made her forget all about the pain. She didn't want to be anywhere near a damn hospital and she didn't want to be out here on the street any longer either. She just wanted to rest. At home. Why was that to hard to understand? Her arm would be okay. She trusted Mia to do the right thing with it. How come Mia herself seemed not to believe in her own skills? She was good at this stuff. A lot better than Dom was at driving cars apparently.

"If anything happens to her, it's on you, you hear me?" Mia made Dom understand that she didn't support his decision, and just walked off. It was a mistake. She could feel it. No matter how good she might be at this nursing stuff, it was a bad thing to take Letty home without giving her professional medical care. She knew it would come back to haunt them. She just knew it. But telling anyone was a waste of breath. No one around here liked to hear the truth. The boys never did. That's one thing she really hated. They always acted like they owned the world when, frankly, they only owned the cars they crashed.

Letty spent two days at home with the others before she became sick. It started out as a minor infection, which Letty put off as 'nothing she couldn't handle,' but soon had her knocked out cold on the bathroom floor. Mia found her, unconscious, and didn't waste a second to call an ambulance. The thing she had feared could happen to Letty, had happened. She wasn't absolutely sure what was wrong with her, but her arm looked bad. And Letty did, too. _'She could be septic,'_ was all Mia could think of when Letty was taken to the ER.

Mia wondered, if she had missed something when she had patched her up; if there had been another shard of glass in Letty's wrist that she hadn't noticed. She knew she wasn't responsible for Letty's fate, but it still made her question if she was even cut out to be a nurse, or a doctor for that matter should she ever decide to become one. Back home, Mia aimed all her anger, the frustration and her fear at Dom. He was responsible for Letty being in such a bad condition, so if there was nothing she could do for her best friend then at least she could be furious at the person who had done this to her.

Five days after the incident, Dom slowly opened the door, trying not to wake her. Taking a look around, he sighed. He didn't really want to be here but he needed to see how she was holding up, and he needed to tell Letty that he was sorry. He might act like a tough guy all the time, but he wasn't as tough as he made everyone believe. He had been worried sick about her and he was beyond glad that he even had the chance to apologize to her now, because Letty was still alive. Dom couldn't imagine a world without that fierce Latina. That was _not_ a world he wanted to live in.

He walked up to the bed and took a closer look at her. Dom had never seen her appearing so weak. Her usually toned skin was almost pale and her face looked like she had been fighting a flu for two months straight. She still looked beautiful to him. She had no idea how much he _actually_ wanted her, because, frankly, he had been acting like a dick. Dom didn't know how he could've never realized that she was kinda perfect for him with that beautiful female body, the smart brain, and her love for everything that involved cars. Letty was like the Bonnie to his Clyde.

"Jesus Christ, I told them _not_ to let you _in_ here," Letty's sharp voice sounded, her eyes fixed on him.

She hated hospitals and even more hated the fact that she was in this place as a patient, not a visitor, but the infection had gotten worse so quickly that she might never have made it had she not been brought here. As far as she knew, her blood functioning had been horribly low, and she'd been quickly hooked up to IV lines and blood transfusions. Now that she was out of intensive care the only thing reminding her of it was that plastic bag with IV fluids still in sight. Letty wanted to take a look at her arm, but couldn't do so, because it was bandaged. Had the accident really been that bad?

"I know," Dom stated quietly.

The hospital stuff had told him that he wasn't welcome here; that Letty had explicitly said to keep Dominic Toretto out of her room, and if he was really honest with himself then he had to admit hearing that had hurt him and made him really sad. But he hadn't been willing to give up and go back home, so he had found a way to see her, even if it was against her will.

"How did you get in here?" Letty asked, groaning with pain.

"I sneaked in," Dom explained. "I just needed to see you... see how you're doing and–"

"Well, I'm fine, so you can go now," Letty snapped at him, closing her eyes for a moment.

She couldn't stand him right now. After all, he was the reason why she was here. She had been fine with that damn car stunt he had tried to show off, but things had changed now. His fucking macho move had gotten her to the place she hated most in the world. She felt sick, _weak_ , and that was the worst feeling she could ever have. She hated feeling this way. She hated that _he_ had made her feel this way. He was an idiot, and as much as she liked him, she just wanted him gone. Out of sight.

"You almost lost your arm, Letty, you're not fine," Dom noted, his voice raised a bit. "And I'm sorry I– I'm sorry for what happened, okay? I didn't mean to– I thought– Well, I came here to apologize, so–"

"So you did," Letty continued to make him feel unwelcome as she opened her eyes again, shooting Dom a look that matched her attitude. They both stared at each other for a long while until Letty rolled her eyes, tired of him still not making any attempt to leave. What did he expect? That she was happy to see him? She needed more than just a day to get over this. Maybe when she got out she could forgive him, but all she could think of right now was what had gotten her here. _Who_ had gotten her here.

"Damn the day you were born, Dominic Toretto," she hissed.

"Oh, c'mon now!" Dom grinned. He didn't want to, especially knowing how angry Letty was with him, but he couldn't help it. "You like me. I know you do." No matter how she acted right now, he was sure that she still cared about him. Well, he hoped she did, because he really did care about her. A lot.

"I like your _sister_ ," Letty mumbled, "And that's the only reason you're still breathing," she added, looking at him. "Because she'd kill me if I did anything to you."

"What you wanna do to me, huh?" Dom asked with a teasing smirk on his face, obviously suggesting something.

He approached her bed, but she threw a box of Kleenex at him the second he moved. And when he took another step towards her, a plastic plate followed, loaded with her lunch for the day. Dom had to laugh at her hostile attitude. If she cared enough to throw things at him, instead of just ignoring him, than wasn't that a good sign? At least she gave a damn about him. Maybe she didn't want to, but she cared, one way or the other. All he needed to do now, and for the next few months probably, was trying to get back in her good books – if he had ever been in there at all.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Get out! Leave me alone!" Letty shouted, throwing the book at him Mia had gotten her the other day, and immediately felt her left arm hurting from the movement.

"I'm waiting for the moment until you run out of things to throw at me," Dom chuckled.

"I'm gonna throw _myself_ at you, if I have to," Letty grunted, making Dom laugh out loud.

"Well, suit yourself. I sure as hell don't mind," he commented in a way that left no doubt about the dirty nature of his thoughts.

"God, Dom, you're disgusting!" she screwed up her face, lowering her upper body back on the mattress. "I wish your parents had gone for a walk instead of... making you. They did good making Mia but you're–"

"Leaving," Dom stated.

"You are?" Letty frowned, quickly sitting back up. She had to close her eyes for a moment when her head started to hurt from the fast movement she had made. That's why she didn't see Dom nodding, his chest rising and falling in a sigh. "You're leaving?" Letty asked again, wondering what had made him change his mind all of the sudden.

"Yeah... I said I'm sorry, and you really do seem fine, so–"

Dom shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't mad, or sad, he just didn't want to fight with Letty anymore. Looking at her, he could tell she was tired and needed some rest. He wanted to give her that. The comments about him being such an ass she wished he'd never been born were just said in the heat of a moment. He was sure of that. Well, almost sure. She truly didn't mean it like that, did she? If only he had acknowledged her being around sooner. Maybe things would've been different then and he wouldn't be standing here trying to figure out a way to talk to her without pissing her off.

"You know that stunt could've killed you," Letty stated, finding it weird how he suddenly acted. Had she said something wrong? She was just mad at him. And hadn't she every right to be that?

"Ride or die," Dom answered half-smirking. That's when Letty knew he wasn't actually sad or anything. Probably nothing she said to him could ever damage his ego to an extent where he was really hurt. Dom seemed to be that person with a skin as thick as a concrete wall. It was impossible to get under his skin. Only his little sister could do that, because she was so close to him. She was the only one who knew exactly which buttons to push. But maybe, Letty thought, she'd learn that too with him someday.

"Oh, is that like your mantra or something?" She released a small chuckle, raising an eyebrow at him. "Ride or die?"

 _"I've always been doing that, you know that," Dom retorted amused, "and the way I see it, you do too." Letty laughed, and Dom grinned. "Seriously, you did good. I didn't think you could pull that off... win that race, but the way you handled those guys, I gotta say–"_

 _"Well, unlike some people, I know what I'm doing," Letty teased. "And if you'd just stop being such an ass all the time you might actually see what else I can do," she told him in all seriousness, making sure to add something that didn't make it seem like this was all about her. "I mean, us... girls... what we can do."_

 _Dom looked at her, smirking. Of course he'd noticed how quickly Letty had reworded her sentence. As if he could've missed that. The game was totally on, he told himself. He'd get close to her, he knew he would. And that was exactly what he wanted right now. Touch her, kiss her, feel her. He probably would need to haul out the big guns, Letty wasn't easy to impress, but that was a challenge he was more than willing to accept. He might be an ass, but he'd soon be something else to her, too._

"That was like 15 years ago, Dom," Letty laughed softly against his chest. "Plenty of time to get to know you and figure out you're hardly the ass you made people think you are." Backing away, she looked him in the eyes. "I really hated you for putting me in the hospital," she smirked.

"I figured as much when you threw things at me," Dom laughed.

Using his fingers, he brushed away a strand of Letty's hair that seemed to blur her vision. He kissed her on the temple, breathing in her scent, and when he looked back into her beautiful eyes, it was like her love was shining right through them. It made him feel so alive. This was by far the best birthday he'd ever had. Finally, he had everything he ever wanted. Well, except for one little thing that he still wished to have.

Letting out the softest sigh, Letty snuggled into him, allowing him to pull her even closer. Dom held her pressed against him all night long. He didn't fall asleep right away, as his mind was busy thinking about everything they had gone through. They were stronger now than they had ever been, he was sure of that, but they still had so much to fix, so much to process – to forgive. And Dom knew a lot of it depended on him, because _he_ was the one who had fucked up the most. _He_ was the one who needed to find a way to forgive her as well as himself.

He remembered how she had told him that they would figure it out, because they always did. Back then, he didn't trust her words enough to stay, even though he should have. But now, he did. He believed in his heart that no matter how much time they needed to get through this, they'd be healed. And even if he was wrong to believe this now, he'd stay until the bitter end. Letty deserved that much. He had plans; plans to show her that his intention to be a better man wasn't just a hollow promise. He meant it. And once they were in Cuba, she'd see that too.


	14. Birthday Boy

**A/N:** _Thank you to the people who recently followed or fav'd this story and of course to those of you who have been reading and reviewing since the start. It means a lot and I hope this update makes up for the long wait. After all the drama, these two definitely deserve a break, so the next few chapters will be full of fluff._

 _Flashback starts and ends in italics.  
As for that song... Yes, I kinda got inspired by Mr. & Mrs. Smith._

 **Rated M**

* * *

Leaning on one elbow she lowered her face to his. His mouth looked so vulnerable, and she wanted so much to kiss it. Letty brushed her lips against his with a feather-light touch and felt no response. Dom must be sleeping deeply; probably still tired from his journey back to her. Who knew what he had been doing this last couple of days away from home. Maybe he was just really sleep-deprived, although, come to think of it, he'd always been a deeper sleeper than her.

Some instinct urged her to trail the butterfly kiss over the clean curve of his jaw, to breathe him in as she nuzzled into the hollow of Dom's throat. His chest rose and fell in a small sigh, but he didn't move. She smiled against his skin and put her arm around him, resting her hand on the top of his head. Stroking his scalp with her fingers, the way she knew he loved it, Letty closed her eyes again and just enjoyed the feel of having her husband back where he belonged—for good this time, as he had promised her.

When Dom started moving, Letty lifted her chest from the mattress, retaking her earlier position to stare at him. Dom wiped a hand over his face, then looked at her. His eyes still a little unfocused from sleep, slowly his mouth curved in a sweet smile of affection as he pulled her down and rolled over so that he was on top of her. Letty let out a small squeal, a squeaking sound that made Dom laugh. He grinned, and brushed his lips lightly along her cheek, dropping them on her mouth shortly after that. The kiss lasted for a while, neither one of them wanting to let go.

Pulling away, Dom smiled happily. "Still not used to this," he said in a whisper, kissing her again.

"To what?" Letty asked, chuckling, while she let her finger run along the bone of his cheek, her eyes staring right into her husband's.

"Having you back," he mumbled, releasing a soft sigh. "Just makes me really happy," Dom added, his voice sick with emotion. "I hope I get to spend all my birthdays like this... waking up next to you."

"Oh, c'mon, you're being cheesy," Letty felt the embarrassment rush to her cheeks, coloring them a little red. Turning her face away from him for a moment, she tried to hide it, but Dom saw it anyway.

"I love making you blush," he noted, grinning broadly. "Looks good on you. You almost seem like—"

"Ugh... Happy birthday, papi," Letty shut him up, pulling Dom down to engage him in another kiss. When she broke away, her lips held a smile. "Your sister has big plans today, but if you want, and it's not like you even have a say in this, we can ditch the annoying bunch later and just be—"

"Alone?"

Letty nodded. "You'd like that?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Dom smiled. "But we don't have to go see the others already, do we?"

He rolled on his back and signaled his wife to snuggle into his side, a hint which Letty only too willingly followed. She laid her head on his chest, sighing deeply as she felt Dom's hand moving to stroke her back. Why did they have to get up anyway? She could stay with him in bed all day; just laying there in his arms was all she needed right now, and she was sure Dom didn't think any different about it—of course, he didn't. Dom thought his birthday was already special enough. He didn't need anything else. Then again, his sister would probably never speak to him again, if he didn't show up downstairs.

"Letty?"

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry I've been such a crappy husband. You... deserve better," he mumbled, stroking her arm. "I know that and I'm—"

"Stop!" Letty put a hand on Dom's chest and raised her head to be able to look at him. "Today's not the day to be talking about that... again," she told him, a weak smile on her face. "It's your birthday, and I'm glad I'm here to be celebrating it with you." She leaned down and brushed her lips across his. "And, y'know, there's nowhere else I'd rather wanna be," she smiled. "So don't be such a mood killer, babe."

"I'm sorry," Dom chuckled, cupping her face to pull her close for yet another loving kiss. "I just want you to know, I'm not taking you being here for granted. You know that, right?" he asked, playing with a strand of her hair.

"Dominic Toretto, you need to stop overthinking things for a moment and just enjoy, okay?"

"Enjoy wh—"

"This," she breathed, as she rolled on top of him, her mouth claiming Dom's, taking his lips hostage.

The wild smell of desire came over them as they kissed. Dom's hands started roaming restlessly over her back and she knew that he wanted more. Needed it. Letty could feel the hunger raging inside him and surprisingly, she felt it echoed in her own body. She pushed against him, making sure he knew that too; knew that she was finally ready to give herself to him. Completely. Dom's lips played over hers at the same time his hands found their way underneath her shirt. Letty's entire body became flushed as his warm palm covered the small of her back, and she gasped lightly.

"You sure you wanna do this?" Dom stopped for a quick second to allow those words to be spoken. His eyes met hers, and she smirked.

"You really need to stop talking and just—" She claimed his mouth again in a wild fashion, then moved her lips to the side of his neck, gently sucking at his skin.

"Fuck!" Dom let out, aroused.

"Me." Letty quickly added, a deep chuckle coming from her mouth as she got back to kissing him on the lips, working her hips against his crotch.

Dom's breathing got heavier with each second that passed. He had pictured this kind of reunion ever since his love had come back into his life. Ever since Letty had risen from the dead, he had wanted to make love to her again, and now that he would, he was actually a little nervous. He could feel it in every fiber of his being, not just how flustered he was, but how much he loved her, too. Letty Ortiz hadn't been his first, but _she_ was the one who had transformed mere sex into true love-making for him.

Being with her, and loving her that way, had made him realize that sex wasn't designed just for pleasure, but for creating a deep connection with another person. It was about two physical bodies dissolving into one another like waves on the shore of an ocean. It allowed him to communicate with Letty on a level words didn't even come close to. He felt like this was the only way he could really make her understand how much in love he was with her—if he showed her. His body could say to her what his voice couldn't.

And just when they were about to get rid of all the fabric that kept them from reuniting their bodies, Mia's voice broke through their moans, putting their actions to a halt immediately. "Dom, get up! Everyone's waiting for you. C'mon!" she demanded loudly, knocking against the bedroom door.

"Oh, she's gotta be kidding me," Dom groaned.

"You don't wanna miss your own party, do you?" she said to him before she left, hoping he would soon follow her downstairs. She really didn't want to disturb him, but her son was getting impatient. He had 'the best birthday present ever,' and he couldn't wait anymore to see his uncle's face when he'd get it. Jack loved everyone, Roman, Tej, Hobbs, but of course Dom was his favorite uncle. He idealized him, looked up to him, and Mia wasn't sure yet, if she should be proud of the fact that her brother had such a strong influence on her kid already or be worried about it.

Letty laughed. She couldn't help it. Looking at Dom's face was way too funny. He looked like someone had just stolen his favorite toy, or rode his beloved Charger at full throttle through a retaining wall; like he had been brought close to orgasm but then left high and dry without being able to release that sexual tension. She felt sorry for him. But the day was still young and there would be time for that later. Like tonight. She would make sure that tonight would be extra special. He wanted this so much. And she wanted it, too. So much so that the mere thought of making love to him made her smile.

"What are you smilin' about?" Dom noticed the look on his wife's face.

"Nothin'," Letty giggled, as she let her head fell down on his chest. "I just—" Her smile grew wider, like all the happiness inside of her needed to find a way out to express itself and that was the only way it knew how. "I just love you, Dom." Her words made him smile. "And I think it's funny that, even after all these years, your sister can still be a pain in the ass and ruin things for us."

Dom laughed. "Y'know, she'll never stop doing that. It's in her DNA." He put a finger to Letty's chin to make her look up. "But... I love you, too." His voice was nothing more than a whisper, but sick with emotion. He took his hand to the back of Letty's head and pulled her face towards his, then kissed her. Once. Twice. And again. "I wish I could do this forever, but unfortunately, I think Mia's gonna show up again, if we don't go downstairs," he chuckled.

"You bet she will," Letty smirked.

They both had a hard time letting go of this moment; this moment in which nothing else mattered but them and their love for each other. They didn't talk or even think about the abortion she'd had or anything else that could ruin this moment of happiness between them. And they hadn't had much of those moments in the last couple of months. Years to be exact. So, when they entered the kitchen, holding hands, they took one final look at each other, before engaging with the others, and silently agreed, in a way only the two of them could understand, to get right back into this moment once they'd be alone again.

* * *

It was already close to 7pm when Dom and Letty were out on the road driving to a destination only she knew of. "Where are you taking me?" Dom asked with a grin, the excitement written all over his face.

"Well, some guy once told me an open road helps you think," Letty quoted him, making them both laugh. "No, seriously, I was thinking about your present all week, and—"

"Letty, you really didn't have to get me anything. I mean, I'm already a very happy man," he grinned.

"Are you kidding me? It's your birthday, bubba. You deserve a little something," she told him.

They drove in silence for a while, mainly because Dom was busy mentally running through possible scenarios to propose to her. He'd had plenty of time to think since he had gone to Cuba and come back, so he knew exactly what he wanted to do, but he hadn't thought about _how_ he wanted to do it. Back then, _she_ had proposed to him first, and then _he_ had, but doing it like that again didn't seem appropriate. He didn't just want to ask her to marry him again, it needed to be special.

Dom glanced at Letty, whose eyes were fixed on the road, her hands locked around the steering wheel. She smiled when she sensed him looking at her. She didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that they weren't talking, she just seemed happy. And that made _him_ happy. Putting on some acoustic tango, Dom started humming along to a song they both knew all too well, and had great memories of.

"Remember when we danced to this?" His lips tipped up in a grin and he began singing the chorus. "Latino caribo, mondo bongo, the flower looks good in your hair." He leaned over to Letty, "Latino caribo, mondo bongo, nobody said it was fair," and kissed her cheek, making her chuckle. She turned her head. His grin went from ear to ear. She thought she'd never seen such an expression on his face before, not in a long while at least. She loved it, loved seeing him so happy.

"How could I forget?" she replied with a smirk.

 _Letty yawned and stretched in her fine, white silk robe while standing on the balcony overlooking the bay of Samaná. After the wedding, they had gone back to their apartment, a spacious place furnished with all kinds of antique pieces. It was both living and bed room. Across from the bed, an open door led into a small kitchen and another door to the bathroom. The grand balcony, with two huge sliding glass doors, almost fifteen meters wide, was her favorite thing about this place._ _She loved watching the sun set, or rise, the night sky or the people in the streets at day._ _It was just beautiful. All the more with Dom being there._

 _"I can't believe we didn't have any rings," Letty laughed when Dom came hugging her from behind, dressed in nothing but his birthday suit. A light, warm breeze tussled her hair, the scent of the ocean filling her nose, and the scent of his cologne drifting through her senses, almost making her lose control because it was combined with his essential male smell, which was sensual and warm. It made her wonder why she hadn't joined him for that shower in the first place._

"You know that's not our style," Dom said, chuckling.

"No, you know what," she turned to face him, " _actually_ , I thought _you_ were getting the rings." It was a lie, but he knew that already. "Well, call me old-fashioned, but I'm the man, remember?" she imitated his voice, "That's what you said and isn't the man supposed to buy the rings?"

"Busted," Dom admitted, grinning at her. "But I do feel like this," he hugged the cross of the necklace with his hand, "means more to us than any rings ever could."

Letty just smiled, feeling her eyes well up with tears, as she fixed her gaze upon the necklace around his neck, her hand slowly reaching out to touch it. She remembered when she had given him the cross as a 'welcome home' gift after he had been released from prison. Back then, she hadn't dared to think he would still wear it decades later. But it had become a huge part of both their lives, a symbol of their unbreakable bond. It was worth more than any million of cash they had ever made, worth more than anyone would ever know.

"You wanna dance with me?" Dom asked, as Mondo Bongo started playing, his voice so deep it made goosebumps break out over her body. He smiled and lowered his head until his lips were hovering over Letty's. "Baila conmigo, mi amor," he breathed in between kisses. "Mi esposa."

Letty smiled against his lips, sheer happiness radiating from her face. "Say that again," she whispered, her arms sliding up, wrapping themselves around his neck.

Tenderly kissing the hollow of her throat, Dom left his moist imprint on her delicate bone structure. Letty sighed with the consuming need beginning to awaken within her. And the fluttery thing her heart was doing turned into a full blown pounding when his words sailed on the air to her ears, asking, "Quieres bailar conmigo, mi esposa?"

"Me encantaría bailar contigo," she answered him quietly, feeling his arms find each other behind her back, enclosing her.

They began to move slowly, swaying back and forth in tune to the music, gently turning every now and then. Gradually, Letty's clothes started falling to the floor. Within seconds, she was dancing completely natural, just like Dom, both bodies pressed so tight together they appeared to be one body. They had their eyes closed, breathing calmly, though the touch of their naked bodies at every point slowly seemed to diffuse the heat and burn them in their passion.

After today, Letty had imagined things would continue more or less as they always had. She hadn't thought getting married would change anything fundamental about their union and she usually was right about her instincts. But she obviously had been wrong in that assumption about her personal life, because marrying Dom had lowered the last barriers between them, allowing for an intimacy like she had never experienced before.

"This is nice," Letty breathed against his chest.

"Nice?" he emitted a deep chuckle. "I think this is more than just nice." He put his thumb to her chin and got her to raise her head. Their eyes met, and they both smiled sheepishly. "This is pretty damn amazing," he told her, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dom had thought he was in love with her before the wedding, but looking at her now, as she stood before him, radiating happiness, he recognized it was just a prolonged crush compared to what he felt for her now. He had never thought it was even possible to be so in love with another person, but Letty had proved him wrong. He loved this woman more than life itself. She would never understand just how special she was to him, and Dom couldn't wait to experience the joy of whatever the future had to offer them.

As he swayed against her, his body rubbed against her center, sending delicious prickles through her sex. The tip of his tongue brushed the small aperture of her lips, and the tips of her breast flared to life, like they were begging him to stroke them the same way as her mouth. Her breathing became rapid and shallow with her body telegraphing her desires. She claimed his mouth, kissing him with such intensity that she stole his breath. Dom's intake of air was sudden and harsh. He groaned, and then she felt it—his erection knocking at her entrance.

"Well, hello there, mister," Letty let out a chuckle, opening her eyes to look at his face. "You wanna come in—" she moaned when he ground himself against her, "Side?"

The low soft sound she made froze him, then made his heart pound frantically. He wanted to come inside her right this instant. "Oh, I'm definitely gonna cum inside," Dom blurted out in a seductive growl that sent shivers of delight down her spine. Before she could react to that, he made a move.

Letty squealed when he lifted her into the air, her legs coming around his hips. Clutching at his shoulders first, she then tightened her arms around his necks, simply trying to hang on. His kisses were making her dizzy, his erection pressing against her wet folds. She gasped as it made contact with her clit. Shifting her in his arms, Dom slid into her, and even though Letty had expected him to do that, it made her cry out his name in the throes of passion. That intimate touch, and the sound of his name murmuring sweetly from her throat, drove Dom crazy.

Bracing her against the wall, he thrust into her, a smooth hard stroke that went deep. She met each thrust with a moan and moved in time with his rhythm. Dom sucked in air several times like he had been saved from drowning and started to thrust harder. Pulling away from the heat of their kiss that intoxicated her even more, Letty sunk her mouth onto his shoulder to try to stifle her cries. Dom gripped her more tightly as he lost himself in a lust-blinded frenzy. He drove into her again and again, making her body jolt from the pure pleasure of it. His knees almost gave way when Letty's fingers scratched a path down his back, pressing, teasing, arousing.

Screaming his name, Letty jumped over the cliff, as she dug her nails deep into his skin. Dom released a guttural roar, reaching his climax, and buried his face in the curve of her neck. They both breathed heavily, enjoying the aftermath of their explosive love-making. Dom drew her scent deep into his lungs, not pulling out just yet. Instead, he slowly relaxed his grip on her and walked with her in his arms over to their bed to lay her down. His eyes moved hungrily over her body, and when he saw the expression on her face, he started grinning. Seconds later, his cock became free of her inner walls, as he pulled back.

"What are you doing?" Letty looked at him confused, her voice hoarse with desire. "We're not—We're not finished," she protested, arching her hips toward him, bringing the lower half of her body in direct contact with his crotch again.

"We're definitely not," he said in a raspy voice, a smirk playing around his lips. He ground against her in a slow rotation, then another, staring at Letty as he stoked her pleasure, making her wetter.

"Dom... Baby," she breathed out hard, her fingernails dug into his back again, leaving marks on his skin. "This dance—" Letty took in a sharp breath as she felt the warmth of his mouth enclosing one of her taut nipples. "It is... It's a little too slow... for my taste."

A chuckle coming from deep inside his throat kept Dom from caressing her breasts further and he gazed up to meet her eyes. Moving closer, he stopped right before her face. "This," he gently nipped at Letty's bottom lip, "is"—a nibble on her top lip—"too slow"—another soft nuzzle, his mouth moving along hers in languorous glide—"for you?" His voice was so deep, it rumbled in her heart.

She let out the breath she'd been holding and Dom could've sworn she had been holding it in since she had spoken her last word, her unresolved sexual tension seeming to suffocate her. One hand on her breast, he let the other roam down the front of her body until it met her center. Only for a brief moment, he used the pad of his thumb to lightly tease the mass of nerves at her cleft, but that place ached for more. Letty shoved hard against Dom's hand, bucking against him, asking for it. He slowly pulled his hand away and slid it up her arm to cup her other breast, all the while planting hot kisses all over her body. Whimpering softly, Letty rubbed herself against him like a cat. A grin burst across his face, as he watched her panting faintly with her eyes closed and her head laid back.

"You really _do_ want me inside, don't you?" She heard him chuckle triumphantly.

 _"Oh, for God's sake, Dominic," Letty murmured thickly, as she reached between their bodies and grasped his shaft to guide it towards her entrance, "stop playing… and start fucking."_

 _Dom had to laugh at her feistiness when she took matters into her own hand—literally—and pushed herself against him once more, so that their joining was complete. Her hand caught his as if fearing he would retreat once more, and she circled her hips, instinctively tightened her muscles as she enveloped him in her warmth. She'd been ready since the last time he was inside her, and as soon as he started thrusting faster, deeper into her, Letty threw her arms above her head and clutched the pillows, crying out. He grabbed her wrists and pinned down her arms so she couldn't move. His mouth landed hard on hers, his tongue teasing her for a moment, until it rasped against the skin on her neck, her shoulders, her breasts, leaving a trail of fire along it. She cried out with pain but already Dom was plunging deeply again, his desire increasing with every desperate thrust. How come married sex felt so much better?_

After Letty had made a few turns, Dom became fully aware of his surroundings. "Wait, that sign—" He gathered his thoughts. "Is this the Speedway? Are you taking me—You do know I'm banned from the track for life, right? I can't—"

Letty looked over at him. To see the surprise on his face made her happy. It was exactly what she had been hoping for. Somewhere along the way they had decided not to do this; not to turn their birthdays into this big event where all their focus was on the size of their birthday gift but to celebrate in their own special kind of way. It didn't mean, though, they didn't get to surprise each other every now and then.

"Lucky for you, your _darling_ wife got some money and people here don't care who uses the track as long as someone's paying for it," she smirked, as she bumped his shoulder with her fist. "So you absolutely can... and you _will_. Because if you don't, that just means you're a freakin' coward. And I didn't marry a coward."

"You wanna race me?" Dom looked like it still hadn't really sunk in with him yet that he would get to be on the same track that had meant so much to his father as well as him. Back then, his dream had always been to participate in a NASCAR race and to follow in his father's footsteps. Now, seeing the signs welcoming them to the track, Dom came to realize that he had never thought of that dream again. He had known it would hurt too much to step foot on the premises again.

Letty stopped the car and turned to face him. Her smirk disappeared the second she saw Dom looking out the window with tearful eyes. "What's wrong, baby?" she asked, putting a hand on his arm.

Dom kept staring at the entrance of the track without moving a muscle. Feeling a lump in his throat, he had to swallow hard. It still felt like there was something suffocating him. His chest was tightened. Maybe he just needed some air, he thought. So, he opened the door, got out of the car and leaned against its body, in- and exhaling deeply. It only took a few seconds until Letty was right there with him, standing in front of him, her hands at his waist. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. She hadn't thought about the pain it might cause him.

"I'm sorry, Dom. I didn't mean to make you sad," she apologized.

Dom pulled her body close, as he tried to smile. "I know you didn't," he said quietly. "It's just—I haven't been here since—I haven't thought about this place—I didn't think I'd ever be back here is all."

"Does it hurt?" Letty asked gently, wrapping her arms around him.

Dom nodded weakly. "I didn't think it'd hurt so much," he admitted to her a bit shyly, and after a small pause continued, "That day—The day I lost him changed everything. Turned my whole life upside down."

"I know," Letty told him. "But look where you are now," she smiled. "He'd be so proud of you, Dom."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Dom scoffed, "I messed up pretty bad."

"But you're still a great man," Letty argued, cupping his face. "And that thing with Linder... I would've done the same if someone had hurt my family like that. Don't—"

"It was _wrong_ , Letty. It put me in prison... For _two_ years. I was away from my little sister when she needed me the most. It didn't bring my dad back. It wasn't worth it. Nothing's worth being locked away for."

"Well, that may be true, but you can't change the past, Dom." She pecked his lips. "And Mia turned out okay, don't you think?" She smiled. "You _both_ did actually. And with all the shit you two have been through, I'd say that's pretty amazing and I'm sure your father would agree." She let go of his face and grinned. "You know, he hardly ever disagreed with me, so arguing with me about that is kinda—Don't waste your breath, honey."

Dom grinned back at her, thinking of how close his dad and Letty had been. He had always treated her with so much love and respect, it actually surprised him that Letty hadn't acted out the way he had. He guessed she had already been a lot stronger back then than he had ever given her credit for. She had been stronger than _him_. And although he would never admit that to her, in some ways, she still was. Her inner strength was probably her most valuable trait. If you tried knocking her down, she'd get back up. You pushed on her, she pushed back harder. Nothing on her said defeat and nothing ever would.

"Thank you for bringing me here... for doing that," he said, smiling at her. "I can't wait to—"

"Lose?" Letty cocked an eyebrow.

"Letty," he chuckled. "NASCAR isn't street racing. There's more to it."

"Oh, please. We both know I could beat you at anything. You wanna educate me about driving? Why don't we just race, _then_ we can talk." She grinned. "Although I'm pretty sure once I come in in first place you won't wanna talk. You always get so grumpy when you lose." She smacked him lightly against the arm and he laughed.

"Always?" Dom shook his head. "I never lose a race, Letty. You know that. And today, I won't either."

Letty tweaked a sideways smirk at her husband. Dom could be such a smug bastard sometimes. He knew the effect he had on her, knew that his smugness wasn't infuriating her but that she couldn't resist finding it a bit sexy. And _she_ knew that he always loved a great challenge; that his ego was too big to miss out on a chance to shine, though in this case she wouldn't let that happen. She had let him win once, she wouldn't do it again. Not this time. Not even on his birthday.

"You wanna bet?" Letty asked, and as she had expected, Dom didn't waste a second to think about it.

"What are the stakes?" he asked back, smirking at her.

"Well, there's your honor. I think that's one reason why you can't afford to lose," Letty mentioned amused, "but there's also..."

She thought for a minute and when her lips started to form a wide grin and her eyes got this look in them that said 'I know you're gonna hate this,' Dom knew, he was screwed. It wasn't like he was worried that he could lose against her, it was just that he knew he had to seriously work for it; make sure he crossed the finish line before she did. That usually shouldn't be a problem, but knowing what was at stake here, it did put some pressure on him, for sure. He couldn't afford to lose. Letty enjoyed seeing his usual smugness disturbed, however briefly, and so she took another moment of silence.

"C'mon, say it! I'm up for anything, 'cause, you see, _I'm_ not the one who's gonna lose," he declared, quickly recovering his smugness.

"If you lose," Letty started, grinning at him, "you're gonna have to drive Jack to school tomorrow."

"That's all?"

"In _Brian's_ car," she added, trying hard to stifle a laugh. "And I'm not talking about the minivan, Dom."

"Wait, you mean in his—In Brian's import?" His eyes grew wide, like he couldn't believe his ears, his cocky smirk faltering, as he lost touch with Letty's body completely.

"You are gonna drive that kid and you are gonna walk him to the building so everyone can see—"

"Letty," he sighed, knowing exactly how much she loved this. "You do know I have a reputation to lose here, right?" he said, one corner of his mouth tilted up in a weak grin he wished he could fight back. "You can't make me do this."

"I thought you weren't gonna lose," Letty laughed at him. "You worried now?" She smirked, an eyebrow raised.

She enjoyed this to the fullest. It was written all over her face. Even her body language spoke to him that way. And Dom kind of wanted to grab her and wring her neck for being so mean to him. Then again, he thought the way she looked at him, stood before him, bathing in her smugness, like a pig in slurry, was incredibly sexy. She knew just how to tease him, which buttons to push, and this bet, what he would have to do if he lost it, was one of the meanest things she had ever come up with.

"I'm gonna win," he said, using the same voice he always used when he intended to spread confidence. "What I'm wondering is... What are _you_ gonna have to do when you lose? You want me to think about that now... or later?"

"Don't waste time racking your brains," Letty said, as she began walking to the entrance. "I ain't gonna lose." She looked back at him, breaking into a hearty laugh.

She just loved teasing him. She loved that they could play this teasing game all day, every day, and never got tired of it. And she loved this man for making her feel so much joy just by looking at her funny—which he did. Dom looked at her like he wanted to punish her for being so mean and at the same time make out with her, and just wasn't sure yet which one to do first. Letty couldn't keep her eyes off of him, as he slowly approached her, keeping that look on his face. When he finally stood next to her, she gave him a huge smile.

"You wish me dead already, don't you?" she said amused.

"Been there before, remember?" he laughed. "Wasn't that much fun. I'd rather see you lose," he answered, putting an arm around her. As he kissed her on the top of her head, he smiled. "God, I love you, you know that? So much."

Turning her head, Letty looked up in his eyes. "We'll see about that once I made you drive that import."

They both let out a loud guffaw like it was the funniest thing they had ever heard, and walked—his arm around her shoulder, hers around his waist—to the Speedway's office to register and get everything they needed to go out on the track. And although they had been racing cars half their lives, it was an adventure for the both of them. Letty was just as excited as Dom was, even more so, because she seriously couldn't wait to see him lose. As they sat in their cars, windows rolled down, she turned to him and smiled. He seemed both excited and tensed.

"You ready to do this?" she asked, trying not to sound too worried.

She had noticed how tight he held onto the steering wheel, like it was a life preserver and he was scared to drown. She knew this couldn't be easy for him, yet she also knew how much he had wanted this, and still did. NASCAR wasn't like any other race to Dom. This was his father's legacy and he had always cherished every little thing that concerned his dad, like it was the last brick of gold in the world. His father was his hero and this track had been his last battling ground.

"Dom?" Letty said his name when he didn't react. "It's okay, if this is—We don't have to—" Dom looked at her, and Letty saw tears in his eyes.

"I'm fine," he smiled at her. "I just need a minute to—" He closed his eyes, in- and exhaling deeply.

Dom felt his father's presence so strongly as though he was in the car with him, sitting right there on the passenger's seat and he was overcome by emotions. He knew he could do this, wanted this. He was happy to be here, no matter how hard this was on him. Thinking of everything his dad had ever said to him about racing, he sighed. He would never forget the last words he ever spoke to him, because he had chosen to live his life by that code. Those words, his compass. They guided him to wherever the road of life would lead him.

 _His father squatted down before him, saying, "Son, remember when I told you how it feels to be racing? Like nothing else matters, 'cause when you're out there, you're just free? Free of all the sorrows and worries in your life?" and the young teenager nodded. "Then listen to this, kid" he started, putting both hands on his shoulders. "No matter how great it feels to be free, never lose sight of what's important, you hear me, Dominic? Never lose sight of the people on the stands, or at the side of the road, cheering you on, because at the end of the day, your family is the most important thing in life." He pinched his cheek lightly, then smiled, "I'll see you at the finish line," and got into the car._

Dom opened his eyes again. Letty was still eyeing him. A bit worried, he noticed. But there was no need for her to worry about him. He was all right, more than all right. He was happy, and so that's what he let her see as he sent his signature smirk her way, the smirk that said there was no way he was going to lose this race against her. Gripped by a rush of adrenaline that obliterated every lingering memory of his dad, Dom opened the throttle in neutral, the engine letting out a reassuring roar that was sweet music to his ears. He put the car into first gear, all the while looking at Letty.

"Last chance, Let," he announced with a lot of confidence. "You wanna know what your punishment will be or you willing to find out later?"

"I didn't know there's a punishment for winning," Letty was immediately back in the teasing game, serenity morphing to smugness with a curl of her lips—a grin, as if she knew exactly what was about to happen. "But I can't _wait_ to find out."

Shaking his head in amusement, Dom fixed his eyes on the road. Sometimes he wondered if he really was the one with the bigger ego, because she seriously knew how to make him doubt that. Her ego was often operating on levels he hadn't seen with anyone else, especially no other woman. And one thing he really couldn't deny was that it was generously fed by his own. The more he let his ego take control, the more it inflated hers. It was like they were always pushing their egos a little more—a habit which his little sister became really annoyed with sometimes.

* * *

They had decided the race would run for half an hour, plus three laps. With only one lap to go, it was as good as over, but not for Dom and Letty. As soon as they hit the mark, knowing this was their last chance to come in first and beat the other, they picked up speed. They hurtled closer and closer to the finish line, aggressively bumping each other's cars, like this was a serious event, not a race they did for fun. Neither one of them eased off the throttle a fraction going into that final bend, determined to win, but as the cars were nearly home, racing along the straight stretch of the Speedway, Dom and Letty exchanged looks and both of them had to smirk.

Letty's car crossed the finish line just one second before Dom's and she let out a loud whoop. Pressing hard on the brake, she then started laughing, remembering what Dom would have to do now. It had been a difficult race, but she had always believed she could beat him. Letty knew her husband thought he was the best driver on the planet, but he had definitely underestimated her driving skills. He always had. She was much better than he'd ever give her credit for. She didn't mind, though. His ego just didn't allow for this kind of avowals.

Dom decelerated and stopped his car right beside hers. Letty turned to look at him, a huge grin on her face. He grinned back at her, and she wasn't sure if he meant it or if he was just trying to hide his true feelings. He must be so mad that he didn't win. He _had_ to be. His loss meant he would have to drive Brian's damn Import and humiliate himself in front of everyone. That wasn't something Dom took lightly. She saw right through his act. He might have had fun, but if he could rewind life until the moment they agreed on this bet and change it, he would. To have lost nettled him. And it nettled him still more to acknowledge that it nettled him.

"That was close." Letty smirked, as she approached him. "Can't believe you almost won." She tried hard not to laugh at him, but couldn't hold in a chuckle. "So, should I give Brian a call, like, right now or are we gonna tell him later?"

Dom leaned against the door of his car, his eyes on her. He wanted so bad to torture her right now for the embarrassment she would put him through, but it was impossible for him not to grin. He knew that only provided her with more ammunition to tease him. Had he expected her to go easy on him, cut him a little slack on his birthday? Definitely not. In fact, he was sure that his birthday was the very reason why Letty enjoyed this moment even more than she usually would. He saw it in her eyes, in the way she moved towards him. Her walk had attitude written all over it, her legs doing a dance of victory.

"You know I will never forgive you for making me do this, right?" he told her, as Letty came to stand before him.

"Oh, I know," she answered, still smirking. "But it's totally worth it."

She pushed her body against his to get close for a kiss, then took him by the hand and led him back to their car without saying another word. Dom didn't either. He just followed her in silence, thinking about his special day today and how amazing it had been. And the day wasn't over yet, so whatever moment came next, he sure would enjoy it like he had enjoyed every single one so far. Each moment he had had was worth remembering, but those he remembered the most were the moments he got to spend with her—his wife. She had turned this into one of the best birthdays ever. And after everything that had happened to them, the drama they had went through this last couple of days, he was beyond glad to know it hadn't broken them.

As soon as they had taken care of the paper work at the office and reached the exit, Dom tugged at her hand to get her attention and make her stop walking. He smiled, pulling her close, and then said to her with a sweet, deep voice, "I'll never forget that, Letty. This. The chance to have been here again and race, like my dad used to do." Letty smiled back at him. "Thank you for helping me create good memories of this place. You know, some that don't hurt."

Kissing him softly, Letty whispered, "You're welcome," before releasing a small chuckle. She cupped Dom's face, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. "Can you take me home? Help _me_ create some memories I won't forget?"

One corner of his mouth tilted up in a grin. "Are you suggesting we—"

"I'm not suggesting anything," Letty smirked, looking at him as though he was accusing her of something she wouldn't dare to think of. "All I'm saying is, your birthday is not over yet and I'm looking forward to whatever comes next."

"I like the way you think," Dom said with a deep chuckle.

"I know you do," she laughed.

Dom grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. Pecking her lips, his happiness gained control of him and he started laughing, too. Their laughter danced together, as if they had always meant to complement each other. It wasn't that funny, but they both laughed like maniacs. No, fools, he thought. Clearly they were acting like teenagers, but he didn't care how foolish it made them look, and neither did Letty. For minutes, they kissed and kissed, laughing and whispering between each brush of their mouths.

"Maybe we should go," he breathed against her lips, smiling.

"Mmhmm," Letty slowly opened her eyes to look at him. "I think we should."

They drove home in silence, always stealing glances at one another and smiling whenever they locked eyes. Their hands never really lost touch with each other and it felt like their lips were just waiting to meet again. Letty chuckled foolishly, blushed foolishly, foolishly pulled at her hair. Dom loved watching her become so affected by his presence and that happiness surrounding them. When he stared at her like a child trying to cash in on a promised trip to Disneyland, Letty cracked up.

"You gotta keep your eyes on the road, Dom," she laughed, grabbing the wheel to get them back on the highway. "I don't wanna end up in a ditch somewhere."

"I thought you go wherever I go," he mentioned jokingly.

"And I mean that, but I rather see us going someplace else." Raising one eyebrow suggestively, Dom's glance quickly skipped over her body. "Road, Dom. Focus." She couldn't help but laugh at his act. She knew he had been holding back, but it became obvious now how much he wanted to be with her physically. She didn't mind it, though. It was just adorable to see.

He suddenly hit the brakes, making Letty jerk forward. Surprised, she caught herself on the dashboard and looked over to him. "What the hell, baby? You're trying to kill us?"

Dom smirked. "You don't want me to get distracted, so I just wanna do this, before I keep driving."

"Do wha—"

He pulled her close and his mouth came down hard on hers in a kiss that took her breath and made her heart pound violently. His tongue touched and stroked, teasing her.

Finally he released her, and they sat staring at each other, gasping for breath.

"I'll finish what I've started when we're home," he said in a husky voice that strummed her raw nerves. He caught her chin in his fingers. "You good with that?"

"Yes, I'm—Yes," Letty said, barely aware of her words because her pulse still thrummed and she tingled from head to toe.

* * *

As they entered the house through the front door, they heard noises coming from the living room, Mia asking them where they've been. Grinning at each other, they just made their way upstairs and into their bed room. Dom closed the door behind them. He could feel Letty looking at him, so he turned around with a smile, immediately receiving one from her. His smile grew wider as he walked up to her. Desire stirred up deep within him, the thought of making love to her almost overwhelming.

He tugged at the hem of her shirt, pulling her close. "You sure about this?" he asked caringly, stroking her cheeks.

"You gotta stop asking me that," she smiled, as she pushed Dom onto the bed, where he sat looking up at her.

Seeing him looking at her like that, his eyes full of so much emotion, it was dizzying, weeks of pent-up sexual desire welled up inside her, and she reached a tentative hand to her shirt, pulling it over her head. Dom watched as it floated down to the carpet, then gazed back at his wife quickly. Letty slowly reached behind her, unhooked her bra and let it fall. She tried holding Dom's gaze, but it was hard without her cheeks turning red. Reaching for the button fly of her pants, she undid them one by one, Dom's eyes fixed on her. She pulled the garment down and stepped out of it. Standing before him now in only her underwear, she suddenly felt more vulnerable than ever. At the same time, though, she felt _safe_.

Dom stared at Letty as she stood before him with just her panties on, all flaming cheeks, pursed lips and fast breathing. He smiled weakly at her shyness and stretched out his arms to put both hands on the soft skin around her waist, touching the body he admired so much. A finger gently glided between the valley of Letty's breasts, over the silky front until he spread his palm against her stomach, slowly edging toward the hem of her undies. His movements caused her to shiver, and he smiled when he noticed that. He knew the effect he had on her body, knew that she was powerless to resist the sensations he could elicit from her flesh, even after all this time.

When his eyes moved down her legs, he saw that she had a small scar crawling from above her knee up her inner thigh. It looked like it had come with a lot of pain. Dom's face immediately turned to worry and he glanced up at her. "Where did you get that scar? How have I never noticed that?" he asked, as he let one finger trail along. "Is that from the accident? When you—"

A bit surprised by his sudden mood swing, Letty had to find her voice. It took her a moment until she could tell him, "Riley wasn't Owen's first mole, you know. I used to be one." She remembered soon after being with Owen's crew, she became his eyes and ears. He had always had trust in her. She didn't know why, but she knew she might have been dead now had that not been so. "I went under, and there was this guy, who was really into me, so he gave me something to remember him by. It looks nasty, but—" Seeing in his eyes that he really hated himself for putting her through yet another trauma, she smiled, "It's not bad."

Dom turned his face away from her to focus on the mark that guy had left on her. "What happened? Did he do something to you?"

He was worried, sad, and angry. Angry at this man who had dared to hurt the person he loved most in the world, but mad at himself, too, for the same things he had loathed himself ever she had come back to him. He should have never left her. It seemed that every day he found another reason why that had been the stupidest thing he'd ever done. He needed to forgive himself, he knew he had to in order to move on, but it was incredibly hard to forgive himself for all the pain he had caused her, emotionally and physically. That was unforgivable.

"That guy, Warren, he wanted—He wanted _things_ from me. Things I wasn't willing to give him, so he tried taking them from me." Letty swallowed hard as the memory of that moment surfaced like a shark, threatening to attack her.

"Did he—" The way he looked at her, it became clear what he wanted to ask Letty, yet the fear of what her answer might be caused Dom to choke back the words.

"No. God no, he didn't," she shook her head, shocked he even thought of that. "I punched him, kicked him in his fucking balls to escape, but he managed to grab my legs, so I tripped. When I tried to crawl away from him, he—he cut me with that sharp knife. It hurt like hell, but I never stopped fighting him off. Then Shaw and the others came and—Well, let's just say he won't hurt anyone ever again."

"I'm sorry," Dom let out, sighing. He put his hand on the scar as though he somehow feared his touch could cause her even more pain. Then he planted a kiss right where his hand had been, and Letty's skin shivered in response to the contact. Looking up at her, he said, "You realize that your body is telling a story?"

Letty stared at him like he had just told her he was going to travel to South Africa and live in the jungle. Those dark brown eyes stared right back at her like she was the most fascinating sight in the world. His mouth escaped a deep chuckle, and he lifted his arm to her face, his thumb stroking along her soft cheek before Dom's hand went back to hold her waist, gently pulling her closer to him.

"You have so many scars, Letty, and they all tell a story. Of what you've been through… of who you are. It's quite fascinating."

"You find my scars fascinating?" She raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"I find _you_ fascinating. I have for decades now... and I always will."

His low voice stroked her senses like velvet, and when Dom leaned forward to kiss her abdomen, she closed her eyes, just feeling him smother her skin with kisses. Their gazes met. Letty smiled, silly with eagerness and discovery and love. Dom smiled too, his a crooked grin that vanished as he pulled her body even closer. He hitched his thumbs into the sides of her panties, slowly peeling them off of her. He let his hands trail over her legs, sliding his fingers up the inside of her thighs while she held his shoulders. Letty closed her eyes again, throwing her head back, as she reveled in Dom's caress, trying to stay on her feet.

"God, you're so beautiful," he said in a ragged whisper.

He was mesmerized by the sight of Letty standing in naked splendor before him. He slowly raked his gaze over her body, lingering on her breasts. Then, his eyes fell to her panting mouth. He licked his lips, a rush of adrenaline coursing through his system. Of course he had seen every blessed inch of her already, but now it was like he was seeing it for the first time. His heart thudded so vibrantly against his rib cage, it felt as though he had never laid eyes on her before. A wave of pride and protectiveness washed over him, so strong Dom wanted to place his mouth on her naked body, to worship every inch of her skin and tell her how perfect she was.

Letty opened her eyes, looked right into his lustful face, and whispered, her voice raspy with desire, "Make love to me, Dom." All those lonely moments without him suddenly came cascading down on her and she literally ached with a feeling of emptiness that only he could fill. Overcome by her need for him, she covered his firm, gorgeous lips with her mouth, as she fell into his lap, giddy with pleasure.


	15. Make You Feel My Love

**A/N:** _Over 100 follows... I have no words. Thank you all so very much x_

 _Curstin, I can't message you so I just wanna let you know that your review made me tear up a little. I often feel like I should spend less time on writing and more time on figuring out how this thing called real life works, but it's reviews like yours that remind me why I'm doing this and keep me going. Writing is actually therapeutic sometimes... I hope your national exam went well. If it didn't, blame it all on me. Thank you to everyone else, too. Knowing you love this_ _story and having you express thoughts and feelings in reviews is the greatest gift I—_ _as a writer—could ever ask for._

 _This contains heavy smut, so if you're not interested in that, skip the first part and start reading after the cut._

 _Update: A few people obviously worry I might use some of F8's plot points and I can assure you this is NOT going to happen. This story has absolutely __nothing_ _to do with the latest installment. Elena will not be a part of it. She may, however, be part of their conversations.  
_

 ** _Rated M_**

* * *

She sat on his lap naked and kissed his forehead, running her fingers along his ears. Then she slowly pulled Dom's shirt over his head and let the backs of her fingertips brush over his abs, sending a quiver galloping across his skin. Letty placed a kiss over his heart, breathing in deeply his scent. She opened her mouth, but no words came past her lips. It was so hard to speak, so difficult to breathe, to swallow. Simple movements became concerted efforts. The connection between them was so profound Letty was sure she had been created from a tiny piece of his soul.

Dom drew her down onto the bed and kissed her as his hands slid along her body, searching for her thighs. She gasped and stifled a cry, but the pleasure had only just begun. He quickly shed the rest of his clothes, flinging them on the floor while he kept kissing Letty where his mouth could reach. His hands cupped her breasts and she buckled against them, her nipples hardening against his palms. His mouth captured her upper lip and pulled softly before moving to her lower lip to do the same. Letty bit back a moan, but when he closed his lips around one pouting nipple and then the other she couldn't help making a sound. No one had ever touched her like he did.

Dom let his tongue glide over the tip while his hand rolled her other nipple between his fingers, and he couldn't stop a groan of his own as her hips rocked against his. He felt himself burning hotter with each second, each rub of her hips. His teeth took delicate hold of Letty's nipple and gave a small tug. She moaned out loud and arched her back, pressing her breasts more firmly against him. The heat and sound of his breath stirred a deep ache in her core. She scored her nails on his scalp, feeling like she would come at this very moment if he didn't stop what he was doing.

"Dom..." Letty's voice was thready and panted as she arched into his caress. She tried to guide him up, wanted to feel his lips on hers. She kissed him, long and deeply, as she felt the head of his cock touch the lips of her pussy.

"God, how I love you," Dom spoke the words into her mouth, and she could feel her whole body tremble with the truth and force of them. Dom watched Letty's eyes darken, witnessed the effect of his touch through her gentle eyes and felt amazed by it. It never ceased to amaze him how she responded to him—to the things he did or said—in their most intimate moments. It only turned him on even more.

He gently plunged into her and stayed buried to the hilt for a moment, savoring the feel of her wrapped around him. After so long, dreaming of her, wanting her, he couldn't believe he was actually inside her. With his eyes closed, Dom focused completely on Letty and felt she had been waiting for it, too. She was wet, murmuring in his ear, and pushing her body so hard against him as though she couldn't bear waiting another _second_ for him to finally start moving his hips.

Touching her so deeply, Dom could swear he could feel the pounding of her heart all throughout his own body. He forced his body to stay put, to hold onto this feeling as long as he could, but he had to open his eyes and look at her. He had to see Letty's face; see the expression in her beautiful eyes as he stayed so still while he was deep inside her body. Brown, tear-filled eyes looked up at his emotion-filled ones. Dom watched a single tear slip out and down her cheek. With all the tenderness he had, he lowered all the way down to it and, bracing some of the weight on his elbows, kissed the tear.

"You're okay," he asked, his voice so low it was a breath, a whisper, like a woodland breeze.

"Absolutely," Letty softly answered, "I just can't believe how much I love making love to you." Her smile was little more than a slight upward hook at the ends of her mouth, a shy smile, instantly reaching his heart and taking residence. "I've missed this so much."

She cupped his cheeks, her fingers grazing his skin, and Dom brushed her hair back from her temple and pressed his lips to the fragile skin. "And I have missed _you_ ," he said in a husky voice as he looked into her eyes. "Everything about you."

Letty stared back at him, feeling his words to her very core. As urgent as their need was, neither seemed to be in a big hurry to finalize the deed. Her hand slid up his chest and covered his heart. "Beating for you," Dom said, like she had been making a comment about how fast it was pacing. "Only for you." A soft chuckle escaped his lips and Letty responded with a slight smirk. He was so cheesy sometimes, but she absolutely loved it. There was just something so heartwarming about knowing that the man who acted the toughest out on the streets was the sweetest to her in private.

She put her hands around his neck and pulled his face closer to hers. "Take me," she breathed against his lips. "Take what's yours." She gasped when he moved inside her, not having expected him to react instantly to her demand. "Yes," Letty moaned, "right like that." Digging her fingers into his back, she let out another soft moan. "God, this feels so good!"

Soon they found their rhythm. Dom was giddy with pleasure, sensing that more than ever before she had given herself to him one hundred percent, no holds barred. It had been a long time since they had made love, but it had never been like this. They were gentle in everything they did, giving every single part of each other's body their undivided attention, exploring it slowly. They took their time. They took their time to look at each other, to caress each other, to be with each other. They took their time, because so much time had been taken from them. It felt like that kind of sex from a cheesy chick flick, but it was incredible.

Dom drove in and out of her like he belonged, filling her heart the same way he filled her body. Slow pace, intense thrusts. Every single stroke took her to new heights. He tilted her hips so she could take more of him, though she hadn't known that was possible. His mouth meshed with hers, their tongues dancing together in an erotic display of affection, further deepening their connection. Letty felt her heart cracking with every bit of love he poured into her. All the while, Dom murmured sweet words in her ear as he brought her higher and higher. Her moans were so loud by now she was sure everyone in the house could hear them. But she didn't care. She never wanted this moment—this feeling—to stop.

"Let it go, baby," Dom whispered, finally allowing her to topple over that precipice.

Letty's breath hitched in her throat, her fingers grasping at Dom's skin when the pleasure broke free. She threw her head back and her eyes squeezed tight while she rode out her blinding bliss. Dom pushed into her again so deep Letty cried out in shock when she was slammed with another orgasm, just as intense as the first but slower, as it lingered and spread out through every cell of her body. After one last thrust, Dom followed, coming home deep inside her as she pulsed around his length. His body trembled and he pressed his face into Letty's neck, panting as one last tremor rolled through his chest. With him lying on top of her, they remained in that position for a long while until Letty broke the silence first with a small breathy chuckle.

"What?" Dom asked as he slowly pulled away to be able to see her face. She had her eyes still closed, but a beaming smile rested on her lips, and when she opened them, Dom could see her love for him shining right through.

"You know what," she purred, "You were there."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah... it was amazing," he said, his voice raspy. " _You_ are amazing."

Rolling to her side, Dom cradled Letty's body spoon fashion against him, simply holding her without speaking. Feeling every inch of her nakedness pressed firmly against him was something he would never get tired of. Minutes ran by slowly, just like their love-making had been slow, and they savored that silent moment between them, like they had savored every second of their bodies' steamy reunion. It had been more intense than they had imagined it to be, but that was no surprise considering they had actually waited years for this—at some point, he had given up hope of ever getting to have this moment with her again as that hope had slowly died when she had continued to suffer from her memory loss.

Now Dom didn't need to hope for another breathtaking moment like this between them, because she was finally back with him, and her memories had gotten back to her, and they would get to make love to each other every single day for the rest of their lives. As the thought of their future together kept lingering in his mind, Dom flooded sensual kisses to the back of her neck. It made Letty giggle. He buried his face in her hair and clung to her tightly. He would never leave her side ever again. It was where he belonged. He belonged with her. He had _always_ belonged with her.

Turning in his arms, Letty came up on an elbow and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. "Letty," Dom said in a quiet voice, his tone low and rough, his body aroused again as though he had never found release. Feeling her fingers surround his painful hard-on, he grunted loudly. Letty turned onto her back and he rose above her. He lowered his face to her mouth and kissed her as he breathed against her lips, "I just can't get enough of you." Using his knees, he spread her legs and entered her body slowly, burying himself deeply inside her again.

"Aren't you lucky you never have to… get... enough of me," Letty muttered under her breath, as another wave of heat washed over her. She reached up and caressed his cheek—usually smooth, now covered in stubble—and ran her fingers over Dom's scalp. Then she continued down his back until she held a rounded buttock in each hand. Caressing the supple flesh, she guided his movements.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world," he managed to say before his mind lost the battle on awareness and went completely dizzy.

Dom thrust into her a few times, keeping the slow pace of their first encounter. When Letty pushed to roll him off her, he gave way to her pressure immediately, rolling onto his back. In the same motion, she rolled on top of him, telling him it was time to switch positions. She leaned forward. Relishing the feel of her naked supple breast and aroused nipples pressed against his heated skin, he answered on a groan. Whatever floated her boat was fine with him as long as they kept making love to each other. Dom also loved when she took control. He always had.

Letty traced the plump fullness of Dom's sweet lips with her tongue—playing, tasting, feasting—before scorching a path along the delicate line of his jaw to nibble at his ear. Dom shivered, his body almost vibrating under her assault. He shut his eyes and embraced the sensational onslaught. Pursing his lips, he blew out softly as Letty's tongue continued its moist journey in and out of the pink sensitive shell of his ear. Moving away from tortured skin, she seared a path of tantalizing kisses down his throat, her target the large pulse beating rapidly at his groin. He understood where she was heading the second she refused to meet him for a kiss.

"I think it's also time," she spoke as she reached his shaft, "to go a little harder... on you."

Before he could answer, Letty slid him inside her mouth and applied enough humming that Dom nearly jumped off. Yet she didn't stop but pushed him further, massaging him more, using her hands and lips as erotic weapons. Air rushed out of his lungs in a fast gush. He ran his hand through her thick hair, loving the feel of it, loving the feel of her mouth wrapped around his cock while he did it. It was exactly this—her enjoying what she was doing, not just for what it did to him, but because she loved it too—that drove Dom in-fucking-sane.

"Does that feel good," she asked him in a low, throaty voice.

"Too damn good," he said, close to losing control. But before he could even let her know, before he could even come, she pulled back and his eyes flung open. His lips parted in shock, his erection a swollen thing of sweet pain. How could she have stopped when he was this close?

Seeing the expression on his face, she chuckled and crawled up his body. "Not so fast," Letty purred, dropping a hot kiss on his mouth.

She took Dom's dick lightly in one hand, brought herself into position, removed her hand and pressed firmly down until she was fully impaled on him. He watched and heard her drew a deep breath as his manhood made contact with her inner walls. She rode him slowly at first, feeling him, adjusting her position in the saddle, tightening her inner muscles about him to create just the right angle. Then she rode him hard, slamming her body against his as her inner walls stroked him tightly. Letty rode him like it would be their last ride, as if her heart would fracture and leave her broken if Dom would ever pull out of her again. She rode him with every fiber of her being, her body bucking against him voraciously.

When she lowered herself down on him, enveloping him in one swift movement, Dom groaned at the sensation. He watched her as she moved, his hands reaching up to toy with her breasts. His fingers slid behind her neck and tightened in her damp hair. He wrapped his arms around her and covered her mouth with firm, warm lips, pulling her into his body. When they both gasped for air, Dom moved to the valley of her breasts and closed his mouth over one turgid nipple. She arched her back and moaned as his hot, wet tongue slid over her other nipple, circling it before he suckled her hard, making her cry out.

She clutched his head between her breasts, wanting to keep him there so he could continue his assault on her sensitive nipples. The more he caressed her the faster Letty's hips moved, riding them both senseless, as she held on for dear life. She wasn't sure if she could just not remember it or if it was the heat extinguishing her brain, but she had never before felt this intensity between them. It was like their bodies had developed a life of their own, making up for all the time they had lost. It was without a doubt the best sex they had ever had and if there was any chance the next time would be just as mind-blowing she couldn't _wait_ to experience it.

Every part of her was focused on the spot where his mouth wreaked a devastating magic on her skin, as she felt her orgasm nearing. "Oh God, I'm gonna cum," she cried, letting out a sharp breath. Clamping her thighs around him, Letty pressed herself harder against the hidden steel, digging her nails into Dom's skin.

"No, you're not," he growled, taking her with him as he rolled over so he was back on top. He pulled out of her and waited a moment until he saw her eyes opening slowly, a look of confusion—desperation—in them. She should've known he was just as big as a tease as she was. "Not yet, anyway," he added with a wide grin on his face and moved down her body. His head rested between her thighs. Looking up, he met her gaze. "But you're gonna enjoy what happens next."

Letty had to laugh at his comment. Oh, she was certain of that. He knew exactly how to please her and she loved that he put her needs before his own. Dom could send her over the edge multiple times and she knew how much he loved doing that, seeing that and hearing that. Whenever she slept with him, he showed her—he let her feel—that she was his every thought. There hadn't been a time where he hadn't made sure she was soaring high into ecstasy before he had his own release. She could've never asked for a greater lover in bed—or in life.

His tongue flicked across the tight nub of her clit. She jerked her hips involuntarily towards his mouth and gasped as he proceeded to lick his way inside her. Letty clutched the bedspread as the pressure inside her build with every thrust of his tongue. Dom slid two fingers into her depths while he sucked her skin into his mouth. He had waited so long for her, he was determined to enjoy every minute of it. Years felt like nothing compared to the last couple of weeks in which he had been overcome by this aching desire for her and not been able to act on it as they had still tried to find their way back to each other.

"You're so fucking wet for me," he rasped into her skin, watching her juices cream around his fingers and the tip of his tongue. "I've missed tasting you." Dom's words were filled with such longing that she couldn't help but respond.

"How much? Show me how much," she said breathlessly, and almost screamed when he hit a spot inside her that sent an even sharper pang of sensation to her nerve endings.

Lust thrummed through him with each of her needy whimpers, as he stroked the wall of muscle and felt her tightening around his fingers. She wanted it harder, faster, and Dom was more than willing to give her what she wanted—needed. He sped up the motion of his fingers and sucked her, and Letty arched her back, bucked her pelvis and clenched his shoulders with her hands. When she was close, her moans growing louder and more frequent, he removed his fingers from her heat and looked up. She locked eyes with him, desperately craving to find release.

"What was that thing about... no use of torture... in the prenup?" she let out, panting, making him laugh.

"Who said I signed it?"

"Please, Dom..." she begged. It felt like the strain was killing her. "Just let me—Make me—Please..."

Dom loved seeing the need in her eyes, knowing only he could give her what she craved. She wanted him to make her cum? Well, then he wouldn't hesitate to do that.

He began sucking on her clit again, licked figure eights and gave Letty the sweetest torture. Because if he was going to do this, he would do it at his own pace—and he knew that was how she loved it the most. He slipped his fingers through her wet folds, sinking them inside her. He twirled them around, feeling Letty push harder against him. Her head moved side to side. She jerked and moaned loudly like the devil inside her was fighting for freedom. Dom kept feasting on her clit, his fingers driving in and out of her. He slid his tongue inside and she arched her back as she yelled out in pleasure, giving him even better access to her. He continued his actions for a few minutes until the heat became too much for her and she exploded.

"Yes, that's it." His voice was a low, deep rumble. His thumb pressed hard on her clit. "Come for me, beautiful."

Letty came so hard that it almost hurt, her muscles squeezing and contracting with fierce. Dom kept his mouth to her center. Even with her thighs trembling, arms wailing and head shaking, he didn't let her go. Instead, he kept her plastered on his mouth until he was sure she felt every single bit of that orgasm. But he still didn't stop. He sucked her hard, letting her clit roll over his tongue again and again, and she held his head in place so she could keep fucking his mouth. Sobbing his name, Letty came again, feeling the spasms as her orgasm wracked her, making her muscles twitch.

With one last lingering lick, Dom pulled himself away from her. He lay with his head pillowed on her thigh, not even trying to control his ragged, satisfied breathing. He had never seen Letty reach her climax with such intensity, let alone twice, and he prided himself knowing that he had made her come that hard. It was gratifying to realize that even after all this time, even after everything that had happened, they still knew exactly what their bodies desired the most and how they could give each other the greatest pleasure. Their love-making was as amazing and mind-blowing as ever, maybe even better—definitely better.

"Get up here," Letty said, pulling at his biceps, playfulness in her voice. "I wanna kiss those gorgeous lips."

"Gorgeous lips, huh?" he replied with a low chuckle as he rested his body on hers, looking into her eyes.

Letty immediately kissed him hard, tasting herself as she tasted him. It set everything in her body on fire—again. "God, I'm crazy about you," she blurted out, running her hands over his head. She stared deeply into his eyes, grinning from ear to ear, and laughed softly when she saw him smirking. "How long can we keep this up?"

"You feeling sore yet?" he smirked and his hand strayed to her hair, smoothing the disordered curls away from her face.

"Not at all," she smirked back at him. "The only thing I'm feeling right now is the little guy down there _still_ not having enough."

"He's not little," Dom protested, biting her lower lip between his teeth as though he wanted to punish her.

"Believe me... I know." Her laughter filled the air and she took his face between her hands to look at him. "I still owe you one," she purred, and her sultry smile was enough bait to make him bite.

And he did, reaching down to nip her neck, eliciting a groan. Letty pushed her naked body harder against his, his erection rubbing her already wet center. It seemed they could keep this going forever. Neither one of them seemed to be too tired—or sore—to end this; to stop loving each other in the only way they knew how to make the other fully understand their true feelings for each other. Saying it was one thing, showing it another. The way their lips collided, their bodies touched and their hands moved—the way Dom and Letty made love to each other—simply went beyond anything that words could convey, especially that night.

They made love four times. Four times—each time better than the first. But their last ride was without a doubt the hardest and wildest. It was just primitive, animalistic sex—a reminder of the early days when they used to have wild raucous sex all the time. They left their marks on each other. Bite marks, marks from burrowing their nails deep into each other's skins—ripping at their flesh until they almost drew blood—and love bruises. They switched positions a lot, making use of any sexual practices they knew and those they had always wanted to give a try. It was like nothing could fulfill their needs in that moment, as they desperately tried to quench their insatiable thirst for each other during their scorching sex-fest.

* * *

Dom wanted to tell her that he loved her, that this was the best birthday he had ever had and he wished for many more birthdays like that to come, but the intensity of his orgasm robbed his speech. Deep inside Letty felt the force and heat of his climax as she straddled him. Dom pumped inside her, over and over until he was completely spent. His uncontrolled movements made her body convulse in another orgasm so powerful, she couldn't help blasting him in the face with a tremendous scream. She shook like an earthquake had erupted inside her and then fell down against his chest, breathing heavily.

"Fuck," she panted after a moment of trying to catch her breath, "Now I'm sore." They both chuckled. "You think Mia heard us?"

"I'm sure _everyone_ heard us," Dom laughed, pulling her face towards his so he could kiss her.

"That was fucking intense. I can't remember it's ever been so—"

"Mind-blowing?" He smirked, she nodded. "That's because it never has." Dom raked his fingers slowly down her back and cupped her buttocks, grasping, filling his hands with the smooth mounds. "It's never been like this." He smacked her ass lightly. "But we should definitely make sure it stays that way." A slow smile crept to Letty's lips. She didn't need to say anything for him to know she thought the same thing.

She rolled off of him and snuggled against him like a kitten seeking warmth, her hand moving over his bare chest in a rhythmic, stroking motion, her legs insinuating themselves between his. Dom wrapped an arm around her as she cradled naked against his body, pulling her even closer, and planted a kiss on her head. Sighing contentedly, he stroked her shoulder and enjoyed the moment. He had never been into cuddling after sex, but she had changed that for him like she had changed the whole experience of having sex. He had had plenty in his earlier life, all different kinds of sex, and it had always been great, but the feelings stirring inside him when he had fucked her for the very first time were much stronger and more complex than mere lust. He had wanted to share himself with all of her—heart and soul. He wasn't sure if she even knew, but she was the only woman he had ever made love to. And she would be the last.

"So, how do you like your birthday, old man?" Letty breathed against his skin as she kissed his chest, and he laughed softly into her hair.

"Been a real treat," he answered. "Never better."

"That's what I thought," she chuckled and gazed at him, her lips wearing a smile.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, his voice serious, as his thoughts kept lingering in the past. "Why did you block every attempt I made to get closer to you... physically?" He had always felt like she had wanted to be with him that way but never allowed herself to actually let go, and he couldn't stop wondering if there was more to it than just her memory loss. They had cuddled and kissed, made out heavily, but whenever he had tried to take her clothes off, she had stopped him from going further until, eventually, he had just held back.

Letty's body tensed at him asking her that question. She hadn't expected him to call her out on that behavior, not after the night they just had anyway, and so it took her a moment to react. She sighed, looking him in the eyes, and told him, "You hadn't seen me naked in so long, I didn't know if you were still into my bod—"

"You know how much I love your curves, Let. Why would you even doubt that for a second? I don't get it. I mean, being insecure about your body? Your _looks_? That doesn't seem like you at all." Dom raised himself up, slowly and carefully so as not to startle her, and propped himself up against the headboard while he kept his arm around Letty. He stared deeply at her, seeing how she struggled to hold his gaze. "Is that why you didn't wanna sleep with me? 'Cause of your body issues?"

"Yes... No… I don't know." Letty gave a long drawn out sigh. "I guess I was just telling myself things, because it kept me from having sex with you."

"Why? What did I do? All I ever did was letting you be. I never pressured you, I never—God knows I wanted to rip your clothes off on more than a few occasions, but I didn't. Why did you feel the need to put these thoughts into your head? Like I could ever look at you and not be completely amazed by you. You know that'll never happen... Don't you know that?"

He didn't understand her, but he wanted to. He wanted to know what she was thinking and how she felt. He wanted her to be honest with him, no matter how difficult that was for her right now. His free hand moved to her cheek and he let his fingers brush tenderly across her skin. Letty nestled her cheek into the palm of his hand, closing her eyes for a moment to give herself some time to think. When she opened her eyes again, they were covered by a small, wet layer, and the look in Dom's eyes turned into a tang of sadness. He hadn't meant to make her cry. Maybe he should've just kept his mouth shut. But the fact that she was crying was strong evidence that he had touched on a sensitive topic, so it had been right to say something about it. It still hurt him a lot, though, to see that the matter brought her to tears.

"Because I knew the moment I would sleep with you, you'd have all of me again. You'd have me... completely... and the last time that's been was—It was the night you left," she explained, as a tear slipped down her cheek. Dom quickly brushed it away with his thumb. "I guess I was scared to wake up after we just made love and see you gone." Letty couldn't stop more tears from falling, but managed to choke back a sob. "I know you may not understand that, but I can't help it, Dom. You leaving me… It's like part of me is still broken."

"Letty," he said, heaving a deep sigh, "I'm sorry." He pulled her body closer, kissing her lips a few times, kissing away every single tear that had wetted her skin. "I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain. I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry you had to—I'm sorry I wasn't there when you took care of our child, like only a real mother would." He felt himself tear up and then it was already too late as he started to weep. Silently, he cried—they both did—as their foreheads rested against each other. "I forgive you, baby. You hear me?" he whispered before dropping another soft kiss on her mouth. "You never should've had to go through that... alone... and I never should've made you feel guilty about it."

While he still held her face in one hand, both her hands came up to cup his cheek. She forced their eyes to meet and gave him a look that plumbed his very soul, tears brimming in her eyes. "I never wanted to take… fatherhood… away from you." Letty's voice came out quiet and wobbly, but it was working at least. She licked a single tear off her upper lip. It tasted of salt, and love.

"I know that, baby. I know," he appealed urgently to the anxiety that she appeared to feel in connection with him and his feelings—the anxiety that he could believe for only a second that she had done it to hurt him back. He moved his other arm, aimed his hand, found the side of her temple with his fingertips, brushing across, and lightly stroked the sides of her face with his knuckles—incessantly. Letty flinched, startled by his touch, but then seemed to relax against his grasp, closing her eyes. "C'mere," he whispered, and she collapsed into him like a building hit by a wrecking ball before he had even spoken the last syllable of that word.

He cradled her head in his strong and masculine hands, running his thumb against her face. He pressed his lips to her forehead, feeling Letty's tears as they fell from her cheeks onto his bare chest. Clinging to him, she dug her fingers into his skin. More tears started burning in Dom's eyes and they blurred his vision, making him blink several times. He kissed the wet trails down her face, threaded his fingers through her soft hair, cradled her close, thinking how perfectly she fit against him.

"Maybe it's already too late," he spoke to her in a hushed voice, "but I will try to fix you, Letty, I promise." He sighed. "I just want you to heal." His bitter tears now flowed freely again down his cheeks in a steady stream. Dom didn't even have to wonder how they had managed to end up in this sad and painful moment after the mind-blowing sex they'd had not too long ago, because things between them could turn from steamy to teary in a flash—that's just how they were.

"I felt it," she cooed in a tearful voice; the cascade of tears in her voice echoed with crystal clarity and the haunted pain there was evident. "When it was gone… I _felt_ it." First Letty sobbed once, then stopped. "The emptiness…" Then she sobbed a second time, for just a bit longer. "I had a _baby_ inside me and then it was just… Gone… Like you… My baby was just gone." The third time, she sobbed and didn't stop.

The emptiness and pain hit her like a wall. Letty had pushed that memory—and every feeling connected to it—out, held it back with control, but talking about it, being reminded of the fact that her husband had come back to her but her baby never would, blew all her defenses to pieces. Sobs tore through her, terrible, wrenching sobs. She couldn't stop shaking but Dom held her firm. She was hurting—not physically, but with the kind of pain that came from mourning the loss of a child—and the man giving her the greatest comfort from her grief was the man who had caused it. What an irony.

When Dom realized that, as he became aware of the hole in his chest opening up, he was no longer in control of his body as waves of sobs racked his chest. He cried with her, rocking her gently back and forth. His sobs were violent and convulsive—cloudbursts, breaking from his chest like a wild storm crashing through the woods. Letty clawed at his hold, and he held her as if he was afraid to let go, because if he did, he would lose her forever. His sobs haunted her head as his tears wetted her skin and she wished she could ease both their pain.

Dom pictured himself cradling a baby against his chest and the image was so real in his mind that he could nearly feel the weight of his child against his skin. Racked with pain, he thought of the baby they had lost and would never be able to hold, love or nurture. Dom cried for his loss. The loss of never being able to hold his baby in his arms or to smell the sweet scent of his child or to have the opportunity to guide him or her into adulthood. His heart broke knowing he would never experience the joy of looking into his baby's face and seeing it smile at him with the unconditional love only a child could give.

"I'm so sorry," he choked out through his sobs, his lips brushing against her temple. He cried into her hair, trying to gain control of his body again, but it seemed to be a waste of effort. If only he could turn back time and do it all over again. He would've stayed. He would've stayed and be a great husband to her, a great father to their baby—and yet, amid all the pain, there was hope deep within his being that life would give him a second chance to make it right.

It took Letty about five minutes to calm down, maybe even more. She couldn't tell as she had lost track of time in the infinite stretches of her pain. When at last her sobs quieted to an occasional sniffle and her breathing evened out, the tremors lessened and her muscles relaxed from sheer exhaustion, she slowly turned in his arms to face him—he, who was still crying like a kid at ten. Who cried like a kid at eight. Five. Two. Like an infant. He cried. His existence cried—and all she did then was shifting her body to pull his head against her chest so he could cry some more.

"Shh, it's okay... I got you," she whispered, rubbing his back with one hand while she held the other to his head, running her fingers along his scalp.

It was usually Dom who comforted her, reassured her that everything would be all right, but sometimes, _she_ needed to be there for _him_ —and she was now as she had been just a few days ago before he had gone on that secret mission. She had never seen him cry like that, like his foundation had vanished, and Letty knew he did not just cry over the loss of their baby, but because of everything else that had gone wrong between them ever since he had left her and for which he blamed himself. Seized with remorse, he cried and cried and cried until she felt there were no more tears left for him to cry.

Eventually, Dom's sobs quieted into pained whimpers as he clung to her tightly. Letty waited, letting the last of emotion drain out of him. Then she slid her knuckles beneath his chin and slowly tipped back Dom's head. His eyes were large, moist and tear-stained—hers, too—and his lips parted soundlessly as if he wanted to say something but didn't find the energy to do so. She tried to smile, but didn't succeed. Her heart was still too heavy for that kind of emotion it seemed. Letty looked at him, looked at the huge pain in his eyes, and swallowed hard before she spoke.

"I feel like you needed that," her words sailed quietly on the air to his ears.

She ran her fingertips along Dom's brow, down between his eyes—which he closed then—before she cupped all of his grief-stricken face in her hands, stretching her fingers out as wide as they would go, holding him whole. She kissed his eyes, kissed the hollow beneath them, his face. She tasted his tears on her lips, felt him responding with a sigh, and as she got to his mouth and kissed it softly, his reaction was a bit more conspicuous. He kissed her back and then initiated another kiss that he made sure lasted a little longer. It hurt to think of the past, but she was here with him, so at least they were hurting _together_.

"What I need is you to forgive me... 'cause I dunno how to forgive myself," he said to her with his eyes now open.

"I'm trying, Dom. I'm really trying. And that's all I can give you right now... It's gotta be enough."

She sighed. Of course she could've lied to him to make him feel better, but she didn't want to do that. She didn't want to pretend it was okay, because truth was she still hadn't forgiven him completely. She still felt it. A part of her still resented him for putting her into that position and be the reason she even had this painful memory to live with. It was only a small part, but she felt it as much as she felt that huge part of her that was just full of love and admiration for him. All she needed was time. He needed to understand that, needed to understand that no matter how much resentment she might feel about what he had done to her she would always—always—love him with all her heart.

"It hurts to see you so broken," she spoke again, her voice soft.

"You know I deserve all this... All this pain," he replied, leaning his head back against the headboard.

"Not on your birthday you don't," Letty argued, following his movement so she didn't lose touch with his face.

"So, you _do_ think I deserve it?" He looked at her with puffy eyes. His hands rested at the sides of her body, his fingers brushed across the bare skin at her waist. For a moment, he had forgotten they were completely naked.

"Baby, I just want us to be _happy_ ," she almost cried out in desperation. "Can't we just be happy? Is that too much to ask?" Letty wasn't being foolish. She knew that wasn't as easy as it sounded, but maybe she needed moments of true happiness to be able to forgive him. "I'm tired of throwing the blame around like a freakin' football. I don't want that. I wanna see my man smile, not cry." She felt his grip tighten around her waist and took that as a response, as him saying he wanted exactly the same thing—not that she'd had any doubts about it. "You don't deserve pain... You deserve to be happy." She looked at him for a minute, just staring into his eyes, then told him, "And I'm really sorry your birthday got ruined." There was sadness in her voice.

"Letty..." Dom said her name in a sigh. "Mi amor..." She could never stop her lips from curling up into a smile and her heart from skipping a beat when he used that pet name—only at this moment did her mouth seem to have forgotten how to smile. "It's not ruined." His hand reached up to touch her cheek and he stroked it with his thumb. Once. Twice. Then again. "I got to spend it with you. That's the only thing that matters."

"But you cried. You cried so much, Dom. I don't think I've ever seen you—"

"We _both_ did," he reminded her. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Letty, 'cause this is all just part of our journey. This is what marriage is all about. It's not just about sharing the joy. It's about sharing the grief, too. You know that. And that's exactly what we're doing. Going through it together... as a couple... and I can't even tell you how amazing this feels."

A warm open smile eased Dom's features, transforming his face into the young man she had known, and fallen in love with, years back. The sight of him almost brought tears to her eyes as she was thrown way back into their past, the image of a young Dominic Toretto so clearly before her eyes Letty could smell the strong scent of his signature cologne; the one he used to wear all the time—the skank magnet. She had fallen so very deeply in love with that young man, it had been beyond her control. And she loved this matured version of him so much more. It was impossible to fathom an existence without him.

"Go to Cuba with me," he breathed against her lips before planting a sweet kiss on her mouth.

"What?" Lost at the sight of him and absorbed by the images inside her head, she was startled when he talked to her. Her hands fell from his face. Her look, confused.

"Go to Cuba with me," he repeated, caressing her cheek. "I wanna take my wife to see my family." His smile grew wider. God, how much did he love calling her that—his wife!

"You serious?"

Dom nodded, letting his thumb stroke over her lips. "It should've been a surprise for your birthday, but I don't wanna wait anymore. I wanna take you there and just be—"

"Happy?" Now she finally smiled. It was that smile he loved the most. It was that adorable smile that made him feel warm and good inside in a way nothing else ever did.

"Happy," Dom said, pulling her close so Letty's body was pressed hard against his. Their hearts beat fast, a frantic tattoo of excitement they both shared over the prospect of their trip. They locked eyes with each other and for a few moments were lost in time. "So what do you say, Missus Toretto?" he asked, her infectious smile made him grin.

"Vamos a Cuba," (Let's go to Cuba) Letty answered, pecking Dom's lips a few times. He chuckled softly. He was happy, Letty could feel it. And she was too. She couldn't wait to go on this adventure with him. It would be like a second honeymoon. Little did she know that her husband was already making plans in his head to take her on a third...


	16. Vamos a Cuba

_**A/N:** I hope you don't mind that this chapter is rather short. __Gotta admit, I'm excited to write the Cuba fluff (and smut) that's to come..._

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Mia watched her brother as he packed his suitcase. She couldn't wipe that stupid grin off her face.

"Why would I be nervous?" Dom asked, turning his head around to look at her.

"You know why." Still smirking, Mia sat down on his bed, staring at him. "So, how you're gonna do it?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"Dom," Mia called out, "I thought the whole point of going to Cuba was to set up a fancy proposal."

"I wanted to, but I thought it doesn't mean more just because I—" He paused, sighing. "You know I don't care about any of this. I just care about her. I want her to say yes is all." He did have a few ideas floating about in his head, but he still hadn't decided what to do. He was glad to know, however, that everything else had been taken care of—the wedding ceremony, the reception afterwards and, of course, they're honeymoon. Dom had it all planned.

"Are you worried she's not gonna want to marry you a second time?" Mia gave him a serious look. "But I thought you and Letty were—You know, I heard you." She started grinning as she thought of last night and how their moans and cries had filled the quiet air in the house. "And it did sound like you guys were getting along just fine." She gave him a little wink and he chuckled softly, shaking his head.

Dom plunked down in the armchair across the bed, his gaze fixated on his sister. "I'm not worried that she might say no. I know she loves me, but she's still hurting, Mi, and I just want her... I _need_ her... to be able to trust me again... To believe me when I say I'm gonna be there for her one hundred percent." He let his fingers run across the armrest. "I think it's my vows that I should be worried about, not the actual proposal or the ceremony or any other thing. Just my words. Those need to be perfect and I still don't even know what to say to her."

"She loves you so much, Dom," Mia assured him, smiling at him. "You seriously need to stop worrying." Standing up, she approached him and sat down beside him, on the arm of the chair. "You wanna know what I think?" She ran her fingers over his head, stroking it. "I think she'd even marry you again, if you didn't say anything else but 'I do.'" Then she kissed his head. "All she wants is for you to be honest with her. Tell her how you feel and she's gonna love every word of it."

"And you sure about that, because…" He had to smile at his sister's tenderness.

Mia laughed. "You know, she'd hate me for saying this, but at the end of the day Letty's still a girl... like me... and she's gonna love whatever you say to her... promise her... because she loves _you_. And I know you're gonna say the right thing, so don't worry about it, okay?" Giving Dom another kiss on the top of the head, Mia left the room, telling him she was going to see Letty and that she couldn't wait to meet up with them in Cuba in a few days.

"I love you, Mia," Dom managed to say to her before she was out the door, and smiled. He was happy to have Mia's support. No matter how badly he had fucked up in the past, she was always there for him, she had always been there, and there wasn't a day that he didn't thank the Lord for blessing him with a sister as precious as her.

* * *

Mia had barely seen Letty all day. It was like Letty was avoiding her and she could only think of _one_ reason why that was. "Guuurl," Mia dashed into the kitchen, "next time you and my brother choose to have a heavy make-out session, can you please warn me to get some earplugs, like some really, really good ones," she vented, "'cause that noise was fit to wake the dead." Seeing her flinch at her loud words, Mia smirked.

Letty quickly bent down to pick up the knife that had slipped through her hands as her best friend had made that surprise entrance then turned around to look at her. She opened her mouth, but no words came past her lips, so Letty just laughed out loud, trying not to let her embarrassment show. It was pretty obvious the others knew of the excessive love-making Dom and she had been doing, because everyone had acted kind of weird that morning. Mia, Brian and even Rome who had stayed over for the night—and that had been seriously awkward, because that guy usually wasn't one to keep his mouth shut about these things. It was strange, but Rome seemed to be even more embarrassed about it than her.

"I'm sorry, babe," she said, calming down. "It just kinda... happened."

"Yeah, right," Mia laughed. "Like four times, huh?" She took one of the sandwiches Letty had made into her mouth. "I'm sad I won't be seeing you on your birthday," she told her as she ate it, watching her best friend make another one.

"Aww, c'mon, Mi." Letty flashed her a smile. "You'll survive." She leaned in to kiss her temple. "We'll have a belated party when I get back. Just the two of us, alright? No guys."

Mia sighed. "It's your first birthday since you've gotten your memories back. It's kinda a big deal. This one is special." She put one arm around her, holding Letty at the waist, and rested her head on the Latina's shoulder. "All your birthdays are special. I'm so happy to have you."

Letty chuckled, looking at her from the corner of her eye. "You wanna make me cry?"

Mia laughed softly, took one last bite of that sandwich and pulled away to be able to see Letty's face. "Seriously... how are you feeling?"

Letty leaned her back against the kitchen counter, standing right in front of Mia now, and smiled at her. "I feel really good," she answered. "It feels like Dom and I are finally getting somewhere, you know?"

"I could hear that," Mia grinned, gently bumping Letty's shoulder with her fist.

"Oh God, stop!" Her long tresses fell forward covering her face as she dropped her gaze to the floor, grinning. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"Well," Mia raised an eyebrow, "how was it?" She tugged at Letty's hair, trying to expose her face. "You can totally spare me the details. In fact, I'd _beg_ you not to say too much," she added, laughing.

"It was..." Letty looked at Mia again and her smile lit up her face as she thought of the passionate moment she had shared with her husband last night. "Amazing!" Happiness rose up from her heart, through her throat, to her eyes. They sparkled. "I have never felt anything like that before," she said, smiling. "He was so gentle and tender." She laughed. "And then he... wasn't... You know, when we got to the—"

"Rough part?"

Letty nodded. "Yeah... Your brother can be _such_ an animal in bed. It was pretty damn wild." Seeing Mia screw up her face in disgust made her laugh out loud again. "Sorry," she apologized, "was that too much info already?"

Mia closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously as though she was trying to get rid of the image inside her head that gave her a very clear picture of her brother and her best friend having wild sex. She had always appreciated the fact that even though she had heard them do it so many times over the years, she had never had to witness it. It was bad enough she had to listen to the noise. She didn't want to imagine the actual deed. It was gross. Totally disgusting.

"I'm happy you two got to... um... have fun, but let's stop right there, okay?" she said, looking at Letty again. "No more sex talk."

"You asked," Letty laughed. "I was just answering your question."

"Yeah, but Letty, when I ask you these things I don't really wanna—You just gave me nightmares."

Shuddering with disgust, Mia tried distracting herself by helping her sister-in-law pack all the food she had prepared in a lunch box. Dom and Letty had chosen not to take a regular flight to Cuba after Roman had offered them to use his private jet. He hadn't been serious when he had asked them why they didn't take his plane to have some more time alone, but once he had gotten the words out, it was too late. Dom had quickly accepted the offer and Roman hadn't had the heart then to take it back. The only condition he had was that they didn't leave any stains on his leather seats—which had made everyone laugh, because they all thought of the same thing.

"What time is it?" Letty asked, as she wrapped the last sandwich.

"3.30," Mia answered, "When are you guys leaving?"

"In, like, forty minutes. We gotta go now. You know if Dom's ready?"

"Of course I'm ready," Dom's deep voice sounded, as he entered the kitchen. "Suitcases are in the car. Plane's fueled up and ready to go. We're all that's missing."

"Oh, I'm gonna miss you," Mia said, sighing, and threw her arms around Letty. "Him... not so much. But you. Definitely you." She glanced at her brother, who was looking back at her with a cheeky grin on his face. "I love you, Letty. Take care." She pecked her lips, like she always did when they had to part ways for a while, and started grinning. "Don't let nana scare you. Deep down she really is a nice person."

Both Mia and Dom laughed. Letty just smirked, because truth was, she hadn't seen their grandmother since she'd been a young girl and she was really nervous to meet the entire family now, especially her. As far as she remembered, Ramona had always been very protective of her grandkids and that attitude did come off as scary sometimes. She also remembered Vince calling her 'the shrew' one night after she had rebuked him and Dom for treating their dates disrespectfully—Letty thought they'd deserved it. They had been skanks anyway.

"You know my abuela loves you, Letty. Don't let Mia get to you," Dom chuckled and grabbed the lunch box from the table. "She always has." He gave her a quick kiss against the side of her head. "C'mon, let's go."

"Aren't you gonna say goodbye to your sister?" Mia pouted, making him laugh.

Kissing her the same way he had kissed his wife, Dom hugged her. "I'll see you soon," he whispered into her hear so Letty couldn't hear it and smiled. "Make sure the guys don't forget their tuxes."

"I will," Mia said, smiling too. "And good luck." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before he left. She knew Letty was going to be blown away by whatever he had planned and she wished she could be there to see him propose. But at least she would be at their wedding this time.

* * *

"You know, I seriously can't believe I'm boarding a plane that says 'It's Roman, bitches," Letty remarked as they walked across the airstrip. She rolled her eyes, dramatically, and accompanied the motion with a rushed exhale. Dom laughed out loud. "But I guess, I still owe him a thank you for doing this for us."

When he looked at her, Letty's lips were curled up into a grin. "Yeah, I guess we wouldn't be here, if Rome hadn't done that," he noted, putting his arm around her. "You excited?"

"I really am," she said, smiling. "But I'm nervous, too." After walking up the staircase, she tossed her bags aside and sat down in one of the seats, looking at Dom, who came to sit right in front of her. "Haven't seen your grandma in forever."

"Come here," Dom said, pointing to his lap. Letty grinned and hopped onto it right away, and he raked his arms around her and locked her tight in his embrace. "Listen to me, Let..." he started, capturing her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers, but remained silent. Then, after a moment of quietness, his fingers lifted her face gently and Letty looked up to his eyes tentatively. What she saw made her cheeks blush. There was such gentleness in his eyes that she felt her heart skip a beat. His thumb was now touching her bottom lip, sending shivers down her spine.

"What?" she asked, giggling like a little school girl—uncontrollably.

"Once my family sees how happy you make me, they're gonna love you almost as much as I do."

"Almost?" Grinning at Dom's words, Letty wrapped her arms around his neck and began stroking the soft skin at the back of his head with her fingers.

Dom grinned back at her. "No one will ever love you as much as I do," he whispered and curved his palm around her cheek as if she were a rare and lovely flower. His cheesy grin had turned into a soft smile in seconds and he looked Letty in the eyes, as he reveled in the awe with which he watched her every move and expression. He quickly noticed the patches of red that stained her cheeks and it made him smile even more. She was so goddamn sweet, so beautiful—he was so lucky!

Letty put her hand to his face and stroked with infinite tenderness the delicate lined skin around his dark eyes. He definitely had the most gorgeous eyes, the prettiest face. She had heard people talk about him, say that he wasn't as good-looking and sexy as his attitude suggested, that he didn't look as handsome as he thought, but to her, Dominic Toretto was the very epitome of a beautiful man, inside and out. And no matter what they had been through, no matter how much pain he had caused her, she would never regret the moment she had fallen in love with him.

"I'm so happy." The words fell as a whisper from her lips. Letty hadn't even meant to say them out loud.

"I can see that," Dom chuckled, brushing his thumb across her skin. Her smile cut right into her cheeks.

He pulled her in a hug then and she threw her arms around Dom's neck again as she buried her head in his neck. Sighing softly, Dom held her close to his chest, rubbing Letty's back with his hands. A soft clearing of someone's throat brought them back to reality. They were asked to prepare for takeoff, but Dom had a hard time letting go of her, so they decided—they didn't even have to speak to each other—to delay their flight for a few more minutes. They didn't have any schedule to stick to anyway. Those were the perks of being the only people on the plane.

Smiling, Dom and Letty held each other in a close embrace as if they had but one breath, and eternally joined in one kiss. With that one long kiss they drew their whole souls through their lips as sunlight drank morning dew. Eyes closed, they hardly made a move, though the flames of love were flickering in their hearts, making them beat so fast it felt like a huge bird fluttering in their chests. It made them feel like teenagers sharing their first kiss. Letty's breath caught in her throat, escaping in a small gasp when their lips parted. Sharing a look as deeply as their kiss, there were no words either could conjure to express the communing of their eyes, so they stared at each other in silence until she finally slipped off his lap and sat back in her seat.

Letty chuckled when she looked at him. His tongue slid over his lower lip like he was tasting her, missing her mouth on his. She couldn't help but to catch a quick glimpse at his crotch. Seeing the small bulge in his shorts, she raised her head to look at his face again and smirked. Letty loved knowing that she had that effect on him. It made her feel desirable, wanted in a way no other man had ever made her feel—and she had met a lot of guys in her life that had been completely, visibly, turned on by her. She had always felt sexy, but she never felt sexier than when she was with him.

"Wanna join me later?" She cocked an eyebrow suggestively.

"For what?"

"Well, I don't know about you," she began explaining it to him while she fastened her seatbelt, "but I'm not so tired that I could sleep for, like, six hours, so I gotta keep myself... _entertained_." She emphasized the last word with a marked desire in her tone, almost purring it, and he immediately grasped her meaning.

"You want us to join the mile-high club?" Anticipating the idea, he stared at the Latina with one eyebrow arching as his lips twisted to smirk with his comment, "You know that's a very elite club, Letty."

Slipping out of her sandals, Letty stretched her leg out and ran her foot up Dom's thigh all the way to his groin, smirking back at him. "Babe, we already joined the back-in-the-car club. I'm pretty sure that makes us eligible for membership." She pressed her foot between his legs and felt his hard column of flesh through his shorts.

Dom growled softly and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, arousal tingling through him. "I'm not sure… Rome would… want us to…" He pulled in a breath between clenched teeth when she continued rubbing her sole against his crotch.

Letty lifted her other foot and slid it between his thighs and Dom went absolutely rigid for a moment, his breath hissing out between his teeth. Something between a snort and a giggle bubbled from her lips. She was laughing more at his reaction than his words, though.

"He'd _hate_ to know we deflowered his plane," she said, grinning, "which is exactly _why_ we should do it."

Feeling her nipples harden and heat blossom between her own legs, she rubbed him more, kneading his crotch with her foot. She was good at it—so good in fact that if he didn't know better, he would swear she was using her hand. Dom grabbed her ankle. His lips parted and a little burst of air came out. Oh God. If she did that thing with her big toe again, he might have to rip her clothes off while the plane was still on the ground. He had his eyes closed, trying to ignore the dull ache between his thighs, but the wave of need threatened to drown him. He let a few seconds pass in which he tried to focus, then released a deep chuckle.

"What?" she asked, holding her feet still.

"If this is what our vacation will be like, I'm gonna enjoy it a lot more than I thought."

"Baby, this is only the _beginning_ ," Letty said sweetly, a smirk on her lips.

 _You bet it is_ , Dom added in his mind, as a spark of excitement passed through those brown eyes, and he couldn't help but grin.


End file.
